


DISSIDIA ACADEMY: Final Fantasy

by ZNitro



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, Fantasy, Gen, Humor, Mystery, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-10-04 06:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 46,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17299946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZNitro/pseuds/ZNitro
Summary: Within the halls of Dissidia Academy, life as a student is full of excitement and aspiration! Follow the Heroes of Final Fantasy as they fulfill the variety of challenges that lay before them, setting the path towards their promising future! However, underneath the depths of this highly established Academy ... is a dark secret that may throw the entire world into chaos.





	1. Vol.1 - Class 13A

** Volume 1: Semester Begins! **

 

Warrior of Light stepped through the large, towering gate that suddenly sprung open just for his welcoming. His long, neat silver hair flowing in the breeze. He kept his chest held high and had a strong grip on his plain yet posh rucksack.

He constantly checked his uniform to make sure that every part of his clothing and body had been neat and clean: his dark blue blazer was completely new and spotless; his long-sleeved shirt was as white as pearls with every button done up securely; his dark blue trousers was thoroughly washed and ironed just before he put them on; his dark blue tie was straight and neatly tied around the collar of his neck, ensuring that it wasn't too loose or too tight; even his smart, jet-black shoes were completely polished for the day just as they were every day since he bought them.

Once the final checks were done, he lifted his head and gazed at the large, office-like building that stood out amongst all other buildings in the district. Along its wall held its name in huge capital letters:

DISSIDIA ACADEMY

Today was possibly the most important day for Warrior of Light in his life so far. A new year at the Academy was beginning and Warrior of Light had become – Crowned, in his mind - the President of the Academy's council. For this very occasion, he had arrived 1 hour early even though he was supposed to arrive only 30 minutes early.

He entered the building with a proud expression strapped across his face, and began to climb up the winding staircase towards the top floor. The Academy had 6 floors: the 1st was where the Entrance hall, the Dining hall, the Theatre room and the Reception area was situated; the next 3 was for each year group and most of the subjects; the 5th held the Laboratory rooms, the Art rooms and the Tech rooms; and the top floor held the teachers offices, the school council room and the Headmistress' office. For this certain occasion, Warrior of Light had to meet with the Headmistress about his new role of the academy. Something he was anxious about yet was too stubborn to show it.

Finally, he reached the top floor. He passed the variety of offices which each had the name of the teacher across the doors. He passed the council room and caught sight of the door for the Headmistress' office, eyes locked on target like a hawk.

He knocked.

"Come in." A sophisticated female voice answered on the other side, giving off a soft and welcoming aura.

Warrior of Light opened to door and entered through, his eyes lit up just as he caught sight of the office. The room he entered was large and spaced out: with a bookcase on the left holding a variety of subject folders; a file cabinet holding information related to the academy; a cream sofa on the right for visiting guests; and directly in front was a desk that was as clean as could be. Accompanied with the desks were 2 seats that had been situated on either end.

Headmistress Cosmos sat peering out towards an enlarged window situated behind her desk, watching the clear blue sky in a peaceful daze. Just a small glimpse of her appearance caused Warrior of Light to skip a heartbeat in admiration. She had been wearing from top to toe a bright silver suit – including blazer and heels, matching perfectly with her long, soft platinum hair and bright eyes. In addition to this, she had a figure of a goddess, healthy in appearance and an aura of tranquillity – one could not fault her in any way.

Altogether, she gave an atmosphere of warmth and inspiration.

She swivelled her seat back to the desk with elegance and glanced up towards Warrior of Light. He bowed to her the moment their eyes met, feeling to would be rude not to do so.

"You must be very keen to arrive at such an early time, Warrior of Light." Cosmos cheerfully commented with amusement, noticing the digital clock that hung against the wall above the sofa.

It read 7:13am.

"My apologies Headmistress. I felt it would be better for me to arrive at this time." Warrior of Light admitted in response.

"There's no need for apologies, let’s just not make a habit out of it." Cosmos grinned coolly, a light chuckle escaping her voice. "Take a seat."

Warrior of Light did as he was told without hesitation, placing himself on the seat opposite the Headmistress.

"So … shall we begin?"

**Dissidia Academy, 8:00am…**

Hordes of students passed through the front gates, chatting amongst one another with cheerful expressions. There were around 1,300 students who attended Dissidia Academy, all with their own dreams and goals to accomplish.

Warrior of Light stood beside the gates with crossed arms, watching the students pass with a wary mind-set, hoping none of them were to misbehave or act rebellious in any way upon entering the academy grounds.

Even though he kept to his duty, Warrior of Light had thoughts rushing through his head, the entirety in relation to his meeting with the Headmistress. Most of it was based on his role as the new President of the School Council, in which he had been expecting. However, there were also topics that struck him by surprise.

For now, he decided to assure himself hat this was not the time to worry about such problems and concentrate on the task at hand.

Suddenly, Warrior of Light caught a loud commotion originating from the academy car park. He decided to take action.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you cannot park your Chocobo in the car park." A Member of the Council explained in a strict manner, agitated with the situation. “It is against the policy of the Academy.”

"Huh!? B-but I'm a student here!" A student argued back, keeping himself close to his Chocobo in refusal to back down.

Upon entering the car park, Warrior of Light recognised the student immediately.

Bartz Klauser.

Considered to be one of the class clowns of Dissidia Academy based on his laid-back attitude and his tendency to hang out with the wrong type of people. Sporting medium-long, light brown hair and a slim figure; he was a guy who enjoyed anything Chocobo-related and causing as much mischief as possible – even when he’s oblivious to his own actions.

"Rules are rules, Mr Klauser. You must have a permit from Reception in order for you to park any vehicle, air-ship or – in this case – Chocobo in this car park!" The Council Member continued on with a stern expression, beginning to fluster due to the nuisance. “The permit is also applicable for the Academy stables, where your Chocobo is _meant_ to be!”

"Well, Boko is staying right here and there's nothing you can do about it!” Bartz stated proudly, folding his arms and showing a grin. “Isn't that right, Boko?"

The Chocobo, Boko, hooted and nodded in agreement.

"The funny thing about that is … we can.” The Council Member then admitted, abruptly taking hold of Boko's reins. “You see, Members of the Council are allowed to confiscate or restrain any mode of transport – Chocobo, for this matter – if a permit had not been issued to the owner. This will, in turn, be escalated to the Head of the Council."

"Wha-!? And who would that be!?" Bartz stubbornly questioned, as though attempting to keep the upper hand of the situation.

"That … would be me." A sudden, unimpressed voice answered from directly behind Bartz.

Bartz switched round abruptly, almost leaping out from his skin in fright. Warrior of Light had stood patiently behind him for a while, listening to the commotion in silence. His arms crossed and eyes glaring back with a serious tone, Bartz couldn’t help but quiver. Warrior of Light’s President Badge that was situated on the collar of his Blazer reflected the sun's bright rays with pride, proving to Bartz he was the real deal.

"Escort the Chocobo to the stables, please.” Warrior of Light commanded his fellow council member, pointing over towards the direction of the academy stables. “I'll deal with this … fool."

"Yes, Council President." The Council Member nodded back, guiding Boko away.

"W-wait, I beg you!” Bartz hastily called out in desperation. “Please don't take Boko away!"

Boko glanced over to Bartz, calling back to him with a loud yet worried screech.

"BOKOOOO!" Bartz cried out with tears streaming like waterfalls, falling to his hands and knees in defeat.

Warrior of Light glanced down towards the broken Bartz, scratching his head and wondered what in the world had just happened. He noticed many of the students watching in curiosity, the atmosphere surrounding the two tensing up, causing him to feel ever the more awkward.

Ultimately, he gave out a frustrated sigh and decided to keep his cool, kneeling down beside Bartz in order to issue him instructions.

"Listen to me, Bartz. Go to Reception and request for a permit, fill out the form and show it to me when complete. Mark my words; I'll give you your 'beloved' Boko back by the end of the day.” Warrior of Light explained to him clearly, knowing he has to be reasonable to everyone … including the idiots. “For now, though, he'll be well cared for in the stables."

He caught sight of a subtle nod from the sulking Bartz, accepting the Council President’s words bitterly. Warrior of Light then assisted Bartz to his feet, brushing off the gathered dust on his uniform. With that, he straightened himself up and stepped away, feeling relieved that the situation was sorted out without too much hassle.

However, this had been short-lived. Warrior of Light halted abruptly due to an individual shooting passed him with alarming speeds, a gust of wind trailing from behind.

"There, there Bartz. Don’t worry about Boko." An upbeat voice began to comfort Bartz. “You know as well as I do that the new Council President keeps to his word.”

Warrior of Light whipped round in an instant, noticing that the person who had sped passed him was a fellow student. However, this was no ordinary student. He was the ‘Partner in Crime’ to Bartz and ‘Mastermind’ behind most – if not, all – of the tricks and pranks caused within Dissidia Academy grounds.

He had light-blond tied into a long yet thin pony tail and clear-blue eyes. He was of short yet nimble build, able to beat any who oppose him in a race of speed. And most notable of all … he had a golden monkey tail.

"Are you sure about that, Zidane?" Bartz wondered curiously, sniffing out and cuffing away his tear-filled eyes.

"I'm positive!" Zidane answered with an upbeat grin. “Would I ever lie to you? … Actually, don’t answer that.”

Zidane rubbed Bartz on the back with cheerful spirit and began to walk away, tail freely swishing and swooping from behind.

However, just as he was about take his leave with his friend, Zidane glanced back to Warrior of Light, a devilish smirk showing as he began to pat his rear pocket. Warrior of Light watched him with confusion, cautious as to what he was indicating.

It was at that moment where he had realised, swiftly switching his sights down towards his blazer.

His President Badge had been stolen!

There was no wonder to Zidane’s known title amongst the Academy, known to many as: Zidane the Thief.

Warrior of Light hastily switched back to Zidane and Bartz’s position, only to find the two had disappeared in an instant. With no time to hesitate, Warrior of Light desperately leapt into a fast sprint in hopes of catching the mischievous thief.

He made his way around the Academy grounds as swift as he could, looking through every window, in every dustbin, passed every door and in every room.

No luck, there was no sign of Zidane.

Then, just as he had reached the fields of the Academy with the need to recover his energy, Warrior of Light heard a load calling-whistle originating from high up the Academy building. He switched towards the building and glanced up, noticing Zidane in an instant. He was swinging from a 4th floor window ledge like a pendulum, using his tail as an anchor and could be seen juggling the badge from one hand to the other.

"Looking for this?" Zidane called out as he held out the badge, laughing away in a cheeky manner.

"Give that back, Zidane!" Warrior of Light bellowed back, his frustration rising due to this pointless chase. “That’s Academy property! I could have you disciplined for this!”

"Hmm … you do have a point. But nah, I don’t feel like it!" Zidane coolly refused with a shrug.

With that, Zidane shot away through the open window. Warrior of Light gritted his teeth furiously and charged back into the building of the academy. He leaped up the staircase towards the 4th floor, refusing to stop himself for any given reason.

He reached the 4th Floor corridor in no time whatsoever and began to search the area, checking every room he passed along the way.

Not long into the search, Warrior of Light heard an echoing laugh coming from one of the far end corridors. Following the sound of Zidane’s voice, he leapt into a sprint and flew through the corridors, something he would normally disapprove of to the other students.

Just as he thought he was catching up to the thief, Warrior of Light skidded to a stop, noticing someone standing directly in his path.

A student with brown hair, a large scar running across the crux of his nose and a moody expression showing in his face stood in Warrior of Light’s way. At first, Warrior of Light was hesitant to approach the guy, feeling somewhat intimidated by his appearance. However, this approach was brushed aside as the student held up his right hand, showing off Warrior of Light's 'precious' badge in broad daylight.

"I believe this belongs to you?" The student spoke with an irritable tone, passing over the badge to its original owner.

"Err … Ah! Yes it is! B-but how did you-?" Warrior of Light tried to question back as the badge finally returned to him, having trouble to form words due to his lack of breath.

"I have the most unbearable curse of being mixed up in Zidane and Bartz’s constant shenanigans.” The student answered with a bothering sigh, keeping the same tone in his voice as though he was bored out of his mind. “Trust me … I know _all_ of Zidane's tricks."

"I see … well, thank you for your help.” Warrior of Light appreciated gratefully, before curiously asking him. “May I ask … Who are you?"

"Squall. Squall Leonhart." He answered with his monotone. "And I suggest you keep your distance from the other two, especially since you're in the same homeroom class as us three."

"Right, I'll try my– wait … what?" Warrior of Light stuttered, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"I haven't got time for this…” Squall sighed out with a face-palmed, “I guess you haven't seen the-… Huh?"

Warrior of Light had suddenly disappeared within seconds of hearing the news, leaving Squall on his own in the middle of the corridor.

Squall shrugged out, placing his hands in his pockets and walking away silently like a shadow.

"Hmph … Whatever.” He murmured quietly. “At the end of the day … We're all screwed."

Warrior of Light was once again charging through the corridors in haste, some of his energy returning to him after the incident with Zidane. He soon reached the staircase and leapt down every few steps towards the 1st floor, cautious not to trip or lose his concentration during his descent.

And yet, his mind was racing even faster than his legs were.

He had not checked up on the homeroom group announcement board as he felt it had been inappropriate at the time. Now, he was seen cursing himself for following through with such a reckless decision.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the staircase, struggling to catch his breath. With no time to rest, he instantly ran towards the entrance of the building where he had noticed the students beginning to crowd around outside. Once exited the building, Warrior of Light twisted round to the direction of the crowd.

A large, elongated board could be seen towering over everyone, filled to the brim with Class arrangements for the academic year. All the students were gossiping to one another – either gleefully or in despair – as they found out where they were placed on the Class board.

Warrior of Light slipped his way through the vast crowd as hastily as he could, gaining the clearest possible view one he broke through to the front. He halted and gazed up to the board. An immense list of names filled up the board, thankfully in large enough print for most to see.

The top of the class board revealed the names in the Academy Council and the Head/Captains of the numerous Clubs. Underneath were the homerooms with the Class numbers and designated teacher names beginning each list.

Warrior of Light skimmed through the board until he finally caught his homeroom.

He read the list carefully:

 

**Class 13A:**

Teacher: Shantotto

 

Students:

Warrior of Light (Council and Class President)

Firion (Council Member)

Onion Knight (Council Member)

Cecil Harvey

Bartz Klauser

Terra Branford

Cloud Strife (Head of the Chocobo Racing Committee)

Squall Leonhart

Zidane Tribal

Tidus (Blitzball Captain)

 

After several checks, the daunting realisation finally set in.

It was all there, clear as day.

“No … why would they…!?” Warrior of Light breathlessly questioned, overwhelmed with horror.

"AWESOME!” An excited voice exploded from behind, causing him to jump out of his skin in fright. “This is great, Cloud! All of us are in the same class! We have to find Firion and Cecil and tell them!"

Warrior of Light span around upon hearing the ear-piercingly loud voice, feeling as though his eardrum had burst on impact. Two male students stood directly behind him: one with light-brown, medium-sized hair who seemed far too over-excited for his own good; whilst the other had blond, spikey hair and seemed to have an exhausted expression on his face.

Their names:

The Blitzball Captain: Tidus, and the Head of the Chocobo Racing Committee: Cloud Strife.

"You can go and tell them yourself … I'm getting a coffee." Cloud answered back in a tired, groaning voice, struggling to stay conscious.

"Coffee!?” Tidus leapt back in a surprised manner, over-exaggerating his actions. “Why would you want coffee!?"

"Because, Tidus … you called me at 3am for a game of Blitzball which went on non-stop for three – count them, THREE – hours!” Cloud explained to him in frustration, sounding as though he had constantly reminded Tidus previously of the dilemma. “You have done this to me for the past week! Right now, I'm beyond shattered and on the verge of collapse."

"Yeah, but … that's no reason to get a coffee!” Tidus laughed out as ushered Cloud towards the Academy building, not realising that his exhausted friend was in a dire state. “Come on! Let's go find Firion and Cecil!"

With that, Tidus grabbed the back of Cloud's collar and dragged him out of the large crowd, Cloud's feet dragged against the concrete floor as he gave out a low, quiet groan. In mere moments, the two were completely out of sight, leaving only a trail of dust cloud from where Cloud’s feet dug into the ground in failed protest.

Warrior of Light turned away and shook his head in dismay.

_Great, just what I need … a Class full of idiots and lost causes!_

He gave one last glance to the board with disheartened eyes before leaving the crowd.

 

**Dissidia Academy, 8:45am…**

The students of Dissidia Academy were entering the Theatre Room for the beginning of the academic year assembly. The students took their places along the rows of chairs and sat on whichever they desired with their friends, making the most out of their only opportunity to do so.

In the meantime, Warrior of Light was up on stage finishing up on last-minute preparations, feeling somewhat anxious.

His mind was running through the Headmistress’ set of impending announcements, repeating on a constant loop. Whilst the majority were harmless and to be expected, one notable announcement set him on edge. In fact, he could only imagine to the reaction of the Academy upon hearing the news.

Once the final checks were complete, he slipped behind the curtains to the backstage area of the Theatre Room– out of sight from the crowd. During that time, he noticed Headmistress Cosmos approaching him, causing him to abruptly stiffen up.

"Is everything ready?" She questioned him curiously, her kind smile as pure as ever.

"Yes, Headmistress." Warrior of Light answered formally, giving a nod.

"I told you many times, just call me Cosmos."

"Sorry Headmiss- I mean, Cosmos."

Cosmos let out a sigh, changing the subject, "I have a feeling the students will be shocked to hear the news I’m about to give them."

"It is to be expected." Warrior of Light agreed, hiding his own bitter feelings as he spoke. "However, they have the right to know, and they will endure it … just like I have."

Cosmos closed her eyes and gave out a small nod, silently thanking him.

She stepped out onto the stage in front of the crowd of seated students, all of who beginning to quieten down as they noticed her approach. Warrior of Light watched her step behind the microphone, her body tall and elegant.

He, along with many other students of the Academy, admired Headmistress Cosmos for her calm demeanour, approachable aura and overall position in the Academy – many considering her to be beyond omniscient. Having been Headmistress for 13 years, no one could deny how she had changed the Academy for the better.

Cosmos held up a hand and the whole room suddenly fell completely silent. She picked up the microphone and began her entrance speech.

"Welcome everyone to a new year of Dissidia Academy.” She spoke out to the room, her tone completely confident and proud. “I hope you’ve all had a much-needed break."

Many students silently answered the question, some nodded whilst others groaned.

"Well, whatever the case may be, it's time to focus back once again to your studies and commitments.” She continued on, her eyes gradually watching the crowd, one section at a time. “Many of you will have a busy year ahead and you will need to use this time as preparation for the future. But of course, there will be a variety of activities, clubs, and events throughout the year. Many new, many changed but all that meet your interests and abilities – some may even help set the future that is ahead of you."

The students hissed " _yessss_ " amongst each other in excitement as they had heard the ‘variety of’ section of her speech.

"There are a few announcements I will be sharing with you before you head on to your Class Homerooms. Firstly, many of you have been asking about what this year's trip will consist of and I can confirm to you that there will in fact be _two_ trips this year: one in February where there will be a skiing and snowboarding trip and the other in June; a first for the Academy, a Water-sports based trip."

Suddenly, the hall had gone berserk as almost the entirety of students cheered upon hearing the announcement. Cosmos put up her hand again calmly, silencing the crowd. The entire hall calmed down once again in an instant.

"Yes, I guess you all would be excited to hear that.” She lightly chuckled, “Next is – of course – the seasonal Academy events dates and times: the Halloween Festival will be on the 31st October; the Winter party will be on the 17th December – the last day before the Holiday Break; the Spring festival will commence on the 14th April; and – to finish off – the Summer Sports Festival will begin on the 10th July."

The students began to whisper amongst each other, struggling to control their excitement.

"And now, the last announcement of the assembly!" Cosmos called out over the whispers, her voice echoing around the hall.

But then the there was a pause. Students watched her curiously, wondering as to what she was about to reveal.

Cosmos took a deep breath.

"This may become a shock for all of you, however I do understand if it doesn't for some of you. On the last day before the Christmas holidays…"

Warrior of Light closed his eyes, bracing for what was about to come. Students were anxious, curious and confused by why she was constantly pausing.

It was then she revealed the truth.

"…I will be leaving Dissidia Academy."

What followed was a very uncomfortable silence, the students sat frozen in their seats. Cosmos gazed round cautiously, anxious about the reaction. Warrior of Light peeked out, glancing at the situation at hand.

And then, everyone abruptly leaped out of their seats in unison.

 

““WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?””

 


	2. Vol.1- A Need for Coffee

Warrior of Light climbed up the staircase towards the 4th floor of the Academy, keeping his usual elegant posture and a strong walking pace. In the hopes continuing in setting an example for the rest of the Academy, he refused to allow his body to falter in whatever way.

However, his mind was clearly miles away, staring off into the distance without any focus or acknowledgement of the people around him. He couldn’t help but wonder why Headmistress Cosmos would leave the Academy halfway through the academic year, seeing as the excuse given to him was along the lines of ‘other’ business endeavours.

The true reasoning behind her leave was never brought up during the assembly nor even during their meeting earlier this morning. In fact, whenever Warrior of Light would attempt to delve further in the subject, Cosmos would automatically change the topic before he could finish his question.

He gave out a frustrated sigh, feeling as though the Headmistress was purposely hiding secrets from him and the rest of the Academy.

_Whoosh!!!_

As he eventually reached the 4th Floor, Warrior of Light was given a sudden startle by one of the students rushing passed him like a speeding bullet.

After a brief doubletake, He realised that it was none other than Cloud Strife – completely flustered and streaming with sweat.

The startled Warrior of Light watched him as he hastily slid around the corner of the corridor and immediately out of sight, wondering why he was in such a rush.

Due to curiosity, Warrior of Light decided to investigate.

He trailed Cloud's direction and slyly peered around the corner of the corridor, uncertain on whether it was wise to approach Cloud directly. It didn’t take him long to find Cloud, who quickly made his way towards the various vending machines near the end of the hall. The faint sounds of panting and gasping could be heard from him, struggling to calm himself as other passing students began to look in his direction with confused expression.

Cloud hastily reached into his blazer pocket, seemingly struggling to retrieve the money he required. His uniform became increasingly untidy as he searched and searched his various pockets, unable to hide the panic that was going through him.

Finally, he had found a coin, glaring at it with wild, anxious eyes. Warrior of Light could hear him muttering to himself silently, although it was difficult to determine what he was saying.

“Come on … come on, please … just one cup of-!”

"CLOUD!" A sudden, loud, familiarly energetic voice abruptly out, causing both Cloud and Warrior of Light to simultaneously leap out of their skin in fright.

For what seemed like a mere second, Warrior of Light caught a glance of Tidus flying passed him towards the shaken-up Cloud, completely oblivious of the Council President’s existence. Noticing his friend’s immediate approach, Cloud threw the coin into the coffee machine as hysteria overwhelmed him.

However, this was hopeless … for his hand was caught by Tidus just before the coin had entered the slot of the machine.

"What are you doing here, Cloud?” Tidus cheerfully wondered, his obnoxiously high spirits glowing from his body. “Homeroom is about to start!"

"B-but I …"

Before Cloud could even answer the question, Tidus locked his grasp on Cloud’s shoulder and dragged him away from the vending machines. Watching hopelessly as the coffee machine gradually moved further and further away from his grasp, Cloud just couldn’t bring himself to retaliate.

Warrior of Light watched the two students pass by him: Tidus seemed to be in his own little world, and Cloud was far too dreary eyed to notice Warrior of Light's presence. Admittedly, there was a sense of sorrow in Warrior of Light’s expression, feeling rather disheartened by Cloud’s despair.

He would hate to be in those shoes right now.

Then, realising the time, he quickly turned back and made his way to his allocated Homeroom. However, just as he casually swung around the corner, he abruptly collided head-on into another student.

_Bang!_

“Oof-!”

“Ack-!”

The two fell backwards to the floor in surprise, the unexpected encounter throwing them off their course. Numerous sheets of paper flew above them upon impact, catching the air as they descended to the floor.

Soothing the back of his neck due to hitting it against the solid floor, Warrior of Light gradually lifted himself to a sitting position. Although brief, the world around him was somewhat blurry, causing him to become disorientated. It didn’t take long for him to recover and open his eyes, noticing the other student towering above him with a hand held out in assistance.

Warrior of Light raised his head, realizing that the student was in fact a fellow Council member: Firion.

Firion, a silver-haired, strong looking lad with a unique passion for working in the Academy. He was somewhat mysterious in terms of his goals, preferring to show off an approachable, friendly vibe towards whoever he was communicating with. Ultimately, both he and Warrior of Light had a strong, healthy co-operative friendship with one another – although both had a different approach towards their roles as Council Members.

"I'm really sorry about that, Warrior of Light.” Firion apologised to him, showing off a sweet, innocent smile in the process. “I should’ve been more careful."

"Oh, there's no need to apologise.” Warrior of Light answered with a fair tone, accepting Firion's assistance to bring him back to his feet. “I was rather distracted as well."

Noticing the mess, the two began to help one another with collecting the sheets of paper in as best of an organized fashion as possible. From the content of the papers, Warrior of Light could guess that they were Firion's lesson notes from the previous academic year. From what he initially assumed, Firion was using them as revision to help him transition into the new semester of lessons.

"I'm assuming you’ve met my two friends: Cloud and Tidus?" Firion spoke out in a chuckle, collecting up the last batch of sheets. “They’re quite the pair of characters.”

"Yes, they … certainly are." Warrior of Light nodded back, remembering the huge difference between Cloud's and Tidus' personalities. "To think, those two are the leaders of the Chocobo Racing Committee and the Blitzball Sports Club … seems rather barbaric."

"Well, as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover.” Firion cheerfully responded, a light chuckle escaping his breath as he spoke. "Those two are more reliable than you’d first imagine. On one hand, Tidus is a dedicated Blitzball Champion. He is always seen practising whenever the occasion arises, and his endless enthusiasm is a force to be reckoned with. Many have even gone on to say that his abilities as a team player and Captain could transcend to ‘legendary’ status if he keeps up his game – I would say he gets that from his Father.

“Cloud, on the other hand, has participated in Chocobo racing for quite a number of years, finishing many of his recent races on top of the leader-board. Granted, he does seem to struggle maintaining focus at times, but you give him a job and he’ll have it done without delay."

"Really…?” Warrior of Light murmured in light surprise as he passed the remaining papers to his classmate, chuckling away at this so called ‘revelation’. “Well, let's hope that they put in as much commitment in their class work as they do on their hobbies.”

"Heh-heh … No need to worry, that’s were my job comes in. I’ll be sure to keep those two in line." Firion nodded back to him with a smirk, holding onto his stash of papers. "Anyhow, I best save Cloud before his caffeine needs hits crisis level."

"He did seem rather shaken up for some reason.” Warrior of Light pointed out whilst folding his arms, feeling what he witnessed should be mentioned. “He was attempting to buy a coffee from the machine before Tidus dragged him away."

"I assumed that would the case.” Firion answered back with a sigh, fiddling through his trouser pockets for coins. “I swear, one of these days, Tidus will realise we’re all not early morning people like him … especially Cloud.”

"So be it. Well, I best get to the room otherwise I'll be late." Warrior of Light concluded, time consciously on his mind. "I'll see you there, Firion."

Firion waved to him with a cheery expression and turned towards the coffee machine, counting up his coins. Warrior of Light took his leave and headed towards the room, smartening himself up as best as he could. A slight pain could still be felt throbbing in the back of his neck, however decided to ignore knowing it was only a fall.

 

**Class 13A Homeroom, 8:45am…**

The Homeroom was filled with students, chatting away about their own affairs and their activities during the Summer Break. The room was lively, the aftermath of the Summer Break still hanging high in the air.

Warrior of Light entered the room, keeping up his appearance as he stepped forward. Straight away, he made his way over towards his designated seat – situated as the 3rd desk in the front row.

Sitting down, he began to glance around.

He could see the students scattered around different sections of the room in their small groups, continuously chatting about the eventful summer and the announcements in the assembly just a moment ago.

At the far back, he noticed Tidus continuously chatting to the struggling Cloud, who was clearly wishing he had more hours of sleep. Joining in their group was Cecil Harvey, who continued to nod and agree endlessly to Tidus’ non-stop rant. Cecil was like Warrior of Light in basic appearance, with long, flowing silver hair and a tall frame. That being said, the two were strikingly different from one another when it came to personality. Whilst Warrior of Light was formal and orderly, Cecil was known to be very approachable and stoic with those around him.

Moving on – currently standing as the only female student in Class 13A – Terra Branford was happily speaking to Onion Knight – the youngest student of the Class based on his youthful appearance. The two were close when it came to their companionship, with Onion Knight seemingly the only student in this class that Terra was able to become friends with without shyness becoming a major deterrent.

With that said, Terra’s presence within Class 13A tended to light up the atmosphere amongst the other students, her pure appearance and timid personality adding to her endearing nature. With bright blond hair and a face of beauty, she could be seen by many as the angel of the class – if not, the entire academy.

Onion Knight, although being younger than the rest of the group by a few years, had the mind of a genius. He could conquer puzzles and equations of various difficulty with ease, and if challenged by a fellow student on an activity or debate, there would be no doubt that he would overcome his opponent in the battle of wit.

This was something Warrior of Light found questionable, feeling as though Onion Knight’s aura just came off as cocky and self-righteous. 

Warrior of Light’s gaze then shifted onto Bartz and Zidane, who were continuously pestering a moody Squall. He felt somewhat empathetic for the Lone Wolf of the Class, knowing first-hand the chaos those two clowns could ultimately cause if given the chance.

Although he had his issues about his new set of Classmates, Warrior of Light found himself becoming more tolerant of the predicament.  

It wasn’t perfect … but it had its benefits.

Switching back to the front of the Classroom, he decided to begin preparation for the upcoming lessons, taking out whatever equipment he required for the day. As he took out the items of books and other necessities, he attempted to keep to himself and ignore whatever worthless conversations floated around him.

That was the case, until one specific conversation caught his attention.

"From what I hear, Cid of the Lufaine will be visiting the Academy soon." Onion Knight casually told Terra.

"Is that true?” Terra gasped out in surprise, her hand lightly raised over her mouth. “Where'd you hear that from?"

Warrior of Light straightened up abruptly, a sudden surge of exhilaration sparked through his body as he heard the name being mentioned.

Cid of the Lufaine, an inspiration during his youth, was soon to visit Dissidia!?

However, the fact he was not informed by Headmistress Cosmos on the event made him sceptical, unsure if Onion Knight was telling the truth or deceiving people to draw unneeded gossip.

"There’s a huge rumour going around the Academy.” Onion Knight explained to her, his eyes beginning to light up. “Many the teachers were even discussing it in the corridors earlier."

"And … you believe these rumours?" Warrior of Light lowly murmured in interruption, switching round towards their direction.

"Well … why wouldn’t I?” Onion Knight answered with a shrug, feeling caught off by Warrior of Light's sudden involvement in the conversation. “I mean, I would think the teachers would be telling the truth, otherwise what would be the point of bringing up the rumour in the first place?"

Terra didn't say a word, beginning to feel out of place within the conversation as the two locked eyes against one another.

"I personally wouldn't trust rumours, even if they were from teachers." Warrior of Light coolly argued, knowing from previous experiences. "I'll consult the Headmistress about this during lunch to find out if this is true."

"Right … you go do that, I'm certain she'll confirm the rumour to be true." Onion Knight confidently stated in an arrogant tone. "I'm always right with my intuition."

"Sure you are ..." Warrior of Light murmured under his breath irritably.

The two continued to glare each other down with dagger-like eyes, as though they were continuously attempting to one-up each other until the dominant is declared. Terra, watching the two from the side-lines, felt increasingly uncomfortable as the atmosphere between the two became suffocating.

Warrior of Light always found Onion Knight irritating with his big-headed intuitions and omniscient complex, even if he was also a fellow member of the Student Council. Onion Knight, on the other hand, found Warrior of Light's continuous attempts to set examples for the Academy and overbearing personality to be a general nuisance.

Their rivalry had always been mutual, clashing constantly ever since the beginning of last year’s 1st Semester, with the two always trying to contradict each other with opposing opinions.

“Tch…!”

“Hmph!”

After a few moments of glaring silence, the two broke away from the staring contest with spite, carrying on with their own businesses.

Warrior of Light began to think through this so called 'rumour', taking in the likely possibilities and contradictions. The idea of Cid of the Lufaine visiting the Academy caused Warrior of Light to feel cautiously uplifted. And yet, the fact that this was currently a large, baseless rumour circling round the Academy sent him into a spiral of doubt.

_SLAM!_

At that very moment, the door swung open, silencing the room in an instant.

The Class began to hear footsteps but could not see anyone enter the room. Warrior of Light lifted his head as high as he possibly could, his curiosity rising. He could only catch a glimpse of fair-blond hair bobbling across the end of his desk, seemingly tied up in two short twin-tails.

"Now then class.” A soft but strict voice commanded to the group, echoing around the classroom as though there were loud, surrounding speakers hidden within the walls. “You’d best listen to everything I have to say, or so help me, I will turn you all into strands of hay."

Suddenly, a high stool appeared directly in front of the classroom, causing a few students to instantly jump out from their seats. Soon after, a small, dwarf-like figure leapt up onto the stool in swift motion and faced the class with an elegant pose.

"I am your homeroom teacher: Professor Shantotto.” She stated proudly to the class, giving out a haughty pose. “Oh-hoh-ho…!"

"YOU'RE our homeroom teacher!?” Bartz burst out in hysterics, swinging back on his chair as he let out a booming laugh. “PHA-HA-HAA! … You're so small!"

Shantotto glared back with absolute distaste, watching Bartz continue with a piercing gaze. His excessive laughter caused the entirety of Class 13A to gasp in horror, bracing themselves for the worst. Warrior of Light awkwardly hid his face in the palms of his hands, wishing he could remove the ignorant fool’s mouth permanently.

After what felt like forever, Shantotto finally blinked.

"Well now, it seems we must go through some ground rules…!” She pointed out calmly, yet her tone of voice grew severely intimidating. “Rule number 1!"

Unexpectedly, a sceptre appeared in her right hand. She began to twirl it around with relaxed motions, feeling the flow of the sceptre move through the fingertips of her tiny palm.

And then, like a flash, she jabbed it in Bartz's direction.

_Whoosh…!_

“WHAT THE-!?”

_CRASH!!!_

A large whirlwind instantly caught Bartz by total shock. He had been thrown completely off his seat and collided against the back wall due to the sheer force.

Once the whirlwind had disappeared, Bartz was left slumped to the floor – groans of agony escaping his lifeless mouth.

"One shall not insult another in this class … otherwise one may find their next breath to be their last.” Shantotto coolly stated, her sceptre disappearing from her grasp. “Do you agree, Master Klauser?"

Bartz struggled and murmured as he lifts his arm from the ground, just being able to give a thumb up in approval.

"Good. Rule Number 2: we must respect each other's ambitions and wishes, and help each other towards our successes … Am I clear?"

"YES, PROFFESSOR SHANTOTTO!" Everyone answered in sync.

"And, Rule Number 3: We are a family in this group, and this will continue in a loop."

" _*Sigh…!*_ What a pain…!" Squall moaned under his breath, glancing away in distaste of that 3rd rule.

_BANG!_

Unexpectedly, a loud slam echoed throughout the room. Every student – who were already on edge after their Homeroom teacher’s display of discipline – jumped up by the surprise, including Squall himself.

Gradually and cautiously, they all shifted round towards the direction of the abrupt noise. To their complete surprise, it was Cloud – his head unresponsively laying against the desk.

He was completely unconscious.

It seemed that his over-tiredness finally got the better of him, causing him to give into his desire for rest.

His fellow Classmates continued to gaze towards him in confusion and shock, wondering how to handle the situation. Warrior of Light sighed as he watched Cloud's slumped body lean against his desk, his lower half almost losing the balance on his chair below.

Following immediately after the event, the door to the room suddenly opened up.

Firion entered the room, holding two cups of hot, fresh coffee.

"Sorry I'm late, I was just buying a coffee for Cloud and-!”

Firion straightened up in shock as he noticed Cloud's motionless body.

“…Ah! I'm too late!"

Warrior of Light awkwardly lifted his hand, "Err … Professor? I suggest we bring Cloud to the Medical Room."

Without speaking a word, Shantotto gave the nod of approval.

_Slip … bang!_

As she did this, Cloud’s body slip from the desk and onto the floor.

 

**Moments Later…**

Warrior of Light and Firion carried Cloud across the hallway, his feet lifelessly dragging against the floor of the building.

Warrior of Light knew the Medical room was situated on the 1st floor near the Academy Reception, so he opted to direct the path. Feeling somewhat responsible of the situation, Firion joined him with carrying his friends’ body to medical care.

With both realising the strain they were about to endure, they took in a long, meaningful breath and commenced to descend the staircase. Unfortunately, they could not take the elevator that was situated on the other side of the Academy, realising that it was currently ‘out of order’.

"So … why were you so late?" Warrior of Light decided to question Firion, feeling the strain from Cloud's deadweight body hanging from his shoulders.

"I got … caught up with something." Firion answered hesitantly, most of his concentration on carrying Cloud.

"Caught up…?” Warrior of Light echoed oddly. “What do you mean?"

"N-nothing!” Firion smiled and laughed weakly, his voice roughened up by the continuous strain. “It's nothing."

Warrior of Light glanced at him with a confused expression, wondering what he was hiding. However, he decided to keep quiet for the time being, knowing to keep out of the business of others.

They continued their struggle down the staircase, gradually passing each floor as they made their descent. Finally, they reached the 1st floor of the Academy, almost collapsing the moment their feet touch the Ground Floor.

Panting and wheezing in agony, Warrior of Light and Firion heaved Cloud over towards the Medical Room, desperate to be free from the burden. The two heard Cloud murmur inaudibly, as though attempting to either awaken or talk in his sleep.

…It was likely the latter.

They eventually reached the door for the Medical Room, almost dropping Cloud along the way. Both Warrior of Light and Firion glanced at each other, simultaneously counting to three before opening the door. As they hit zero, they suddenly lurched forward, almost losing balance as they passed through.

After a moment to regain their postures, they examined the surrounding room. This room was a first for both Warrior of Light and Firion, who never needed to visit the room during their time at the Academy.

To their surprise, the Medical Room was large and spacious, with many beds situated in an orderly fashion: some of them with closed-up curtains, whilst others were open and vacant.

And then, a young lady – seemingly around the same age as the three – emerged from one of the closed curtains.

"Ah! Hello, may I help you?" She politely asked them, her soft voice echoing throughout the large room.

"Err … yes! Cloud here had fallen unconscious during Homeroom, we reckon it’s due to Over-Tiredness." Warrior of Light explained in detail, dazzled by the young lady’s beauty.

"Oh, that's unfortunate! Well, the Head Nurse is away on an errand, so it’s just me for the time being. I'm a Student Nurse, so I’m able to help out in any way I can." She smiled calmly, before pointing to one of the vacant beds. “Here, we can use this bed.”

"So, you should be fine with taking care of him?" Firion questioned her in turn, equally mesmerized by her beauty.

"Yes, of course." She nodded cheerfully with a beaming smile.

Without delay, she assisted the two as they dragged Cloud over to the allocated free bed. Carefully, they laid him down on the mattress, ensuring that no accident would occur during the transition.

Finally, both Warrior of Light and Firion felt relief as the burdening weight lift from their shoulders. The two instantly began to stretch out, feeling the aches and strains gradually disappear from their bodies. As he did this, Warrior of Light took another glance around the Medical Room out of mere interest, noticing a few students on the beds with different injuries and illnesses.

"May I ask your name?" Firion politely asked the student nurse, feeling gratitude was in order.

"My name is Aerith." She answered back with a confident, bright beam. “Aerith Gainsborough.”

"Well then, Aerith, thank you for the assistance.” Warrior of Light told her politely, realising the time. “It was a pleasure meeting you, please let us know when Cloud is at full health."

She bowed back, showing her sweet smile, "I understand. I'll look after Cloud until he fully recovers."

 

And so, Warrior of Light and Firion bid Aerith farewell and made their way back out to the main area of the 1st Floor. Still stretching out the remaining aches and pains, the two lead the way towards the staircase in hopes to returning to Homeroom in time. As they approached the staircase, they began their ascent up the steps, dragging their feet as they dreaded the excruciating effort back up to the 4th Floor.

However, Warrior of Light halted.

Just as they began the climb, he caught a sudden glimpse of a hulking figure standing idle on the Academy Grounds outside. He froze, glaring through the far away window with a mixture of confusion and horror.

And then, the moment he blinked, the figure swiftly disappeared out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Firion questioned worriedly, noticing his Classmate frozen in place.

Warrior of Light leapt up with surprise, returning to reality. Shaking his head, he wondered if the figure was just a figment of his imagination.

 

"Err … Y-Yes! I'm fine!” He hastily commented as an excuse, glancing back to the place where the figure initially stood. “I … just remembered, I need to go see Headmistress Cosmos."

Warrior of Light hastily leapt up the stairs in an abrupt motion out of Firion's sight.

"Oh … okay, see you then." Firion muttered as he watched Warrior of Light disappear, left awkwardly on his own.

 

**The Headmistress’ Office…**

Sitting in front of her desk, Headmistress Cosmos was preoccupied in reorganising some old files on her desk, disposing whatever documents that took up unnecessary space.

During this moment, she heard a sudden, rushed knock.

"Come in." she commanded formally, her goddess-like voice echoing out in direction of the door.

Without delay, Warrior of Light stumbling into the office, gasping for breath.

"Warrior of Light? Is something the matter?" Cosmos wondered in surprise, unexpectedly halting her folder and document organisation as she tended to the student.

With many questions in his mind he desired to bring up, Warrior of Light took no time in explaining himself of his rude intrusion.

"I-I’m sorry to disturb you, Headmistress. I had to take Cloud Strife to the Medical Room and needed to stop by.” Warrior of Light commenced to excuse himself, regain his usual posture. “I've come to ask about this rumour I heard-?"

"You wish to ask me if Cid of the Lufaine is visiting the Academy?" Cosmos finished his question for him, reading him like a book.

"O-oh … Yes, that’s correct." He nodded after an initial hesitation, caught off guard by the Headmistress’ accurate guess.

"Well, to answer your question…” She began addressing, smirking away. “The answer is ‘Yes’, he will be visiting the Academy by the end of this very week, in fact."

"So the rumours were true!?” Warrior of Light blurted out in shock, unable to hold back. “Why was I not told about this, Headmistress!?”

"I didn't wish to spoil the surprise." Cosmos jokingly answered back in amusement, a sweet giggle escaped her mouth. However, as she continued to speak, she became slightly more serious towards Warrior of Light. "I'm just having a wild guess here, but I assume Cid’s visit isn’t the only reason you visited my office in such haste. What’s troubling you?"

Feeling as though he was exposed, Warrior of Light hesitantly began to reveal his ‘other’ reason. "Just a moment ago, I spotted-!"

_Knock, knock!_

However, just as he was about to reveal the name, another loud knock was heard from the door behind him.

_Creak…!_

It immediately opened without the need of Headmistress Cosmos’ consent.

During this time, Warrior of Light finished his sentence in a low mutter, his eyes fixated on the hulking figure that entered the office.

"…Garland."


	3. Vol.1- An Uncertain Alibi

"Have I interrupted something?" Garland questioned curiously, stepping into the Headmistress' office in a formal manner.

Warrior of Light continued to glare at Garland as he approached the desk, stricken with horror. The man he had despised for so long had entered the room so casually, as if he was flaunting his innocence on purpose.

It was sickening.

“Not at all, Sir Garland.” Headmistress Cosmos shook her head in response, acting oblivious to Warrior of Light’s growing anguish.

The man known as Garland was shown to be a tall and buffed, easily towering over anyone who stood before him. He wore a dark black suit in a similar form to all the staff members within the Academy, nothing one would consider out of the ordinary. With his formal sense of attire and overall respectful manner, he certainly had the aura of a Dissidia Teacher.

However, there was on aspect to him that stood out amongst the rest: his rather unique helmet.

Wherever he was seen, he always wore a fully-facial, metal-plated helmet consisting of two large horns and an eerily tense expression. No one knew of its origin or its purpose, many tending to speculate that it was a ‘fashion-statement’ of some capacity or a ‘cult’ symbol.

Warrior of Light preferred not to know.

As he stood in front of the Headmistress, Garland handed over what seemed to be a sturdy-looking binder. It was filled to the brim with several paper sheets detailing various information on various subjects of importance.

The binder's cover was titled: 'DISSIDIA ACADEMY: 1st Semester Itinerary'.

"I believe this is what you had called me over for, Headmistress?" Garland curiously wondered, allowing Cosmos to take the binder from his possession.

"Yes, this is perfect." Cosmos cheerfully nodded in answer, placing the folder neatly on top of her desk.

Numerous questions shot across Warrior of Light's mind, sending him in a downward spiral of despair:

_Why is Garland here?_

_Why is he being so well-mannered and casual to Headmistress Cosmos?_

_Why is Headmistress Cosmos acting so calmly?_

_Why is he suited up like the staff members of the Academy?_

_WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!?_

The Headmistress then unexpectedly switched to Warrior of Light, causing him to jump out of his skin in retaliation.

"Is there anything else you need, Warrior of Light?" Cosmos asked in her calm tone, "If you don't head off to your first lesson soon, you'll end up being late. The last thing I would want is for the Academy’s Student Council President to lose his reputation … especially at the start of the 1st Semester."

Warrior of Light was left completely speechless.

He tried to speak out and ask so many questions that rushed through his mind, and yet none of them emerged from his mouth. Instead, Warrior of Light's mouth just hung open as if to dry. Faint, stuttering grunts could be heard in an attempt to object. In the end, however, he gave up, lowering his head in frustration.

"No…” He murmured in defeat, shaking his head. “There's nothing else, Headmistress Cosmos."

"Then, if you wouldn’t mind, I have a lot of work that needs my attention." Cosmos peacefully concluded with a nod, switching back towards her desk. "Sir Garland, would you be so kind as to escort Warrior of Light to his lesson?"

"Certainly, Headmistress." Garland accepted without delay.

Without saying another word, Warrior of Light followed Garland out of the room. Out of courtesy, Garland held the door open for him as he passed. However, Warrior of Light refused to thank or even look up at Garland in response.

Instead, Warrior of Light took one last glace towards the Headmistress, his expression filled with concern. He was just able to capture a glance of Cosmos raising her head – a small but somewhat sad smile appearing on her face as she met eyes with him – before the door finally closed between them.

Garland lead him down the staircase towards the 5th Floor of the Academy, the two not speaking a word to one another. Right now, Warrior of Light's mind was in chaos as the numerous questions and uncertainties continued to consume his thoughts. It did not help with the fact that Garland was escorting him to his first lesson.

He was struggling to hold back his fury, knowing that he could burs at any moment.

Eventually, the two reached the 5th Floor – their destination being the main Art Room of the Academy.

As the two passed the row of windows leading into the various classrooms, Warrior of Light briefly observed the students that were sitting in their seats: most eyes focused on the introduction of the subject at hand, whilst others were either whispering to their nearby friends or gradually entering their daydreams.

Outside the classrooms, the halls were as vacant as it could ever be, with only the duo’s echoing footsteps breaking the silence.

"I always find that the Academy has the best atmosphere when it's quiet." Garland suddenly expressed, choosing to break the silence on his own accord. “It’s rather peaceful, wouldn’t you say?”

Warrior of Light abruptly halted, his expression low as it hid behind his long, platinum silver hair. Garland noticed him stop in his tracks, and swivelled round to face him in curiosity.

“Is there a problem?” He asked politely, completely oblivious to the situation.

Either side of him, Warrior of Light's hands drew into fists. They were shaking, as though desperately holding back the fury that was about to break through. Until now, he decided to brush away Garland’s involvement with the Academy, believing it was an oversight by the Headmistress. However, his overall presence and attitude continued to dig deep into his consciousness, purposely irritating him to the point of desiring to lash out in protest.

Furthermore, Garland's innocent comment was far too out of character for someone of his background.

Warrior of Light needed answers.

"Why…?" Warrior of Light murmured in a low, menacing tone, his head emerging to face Garland. “Why are you here, Garland?”

At first, Garland was silent, reading Warrior of Light’s repulsed expression before approaching the question.

"Hmm … well, if you must know: the generous Headmistress Cosmos approached me with a job offer." Garland admitted in honesty, his tone of voice formal yet proud. " Her proposal was for me to take up the role of the Academy’s English Teacher. So, long story short, I accepted the offer in a heartbeat and now … here I am."

“Tsk…!”

This constant positive and upbeat tone coming from Garland continued to infuriate Warrior of Light, setting his emotions further on edge as he let out a tut in disgust. He stepped closer to the man before him, examining him carefully as he hoped to find any sign of contradiction.

With Garland’s demonic helmet in the way, this was rather difficult.

"Is there any need for the staring?" Garland calmly pondered, becoming rather conscious of Warrior of Light’s judging gaze.

"You have ruined so many people's lives ... You purposefully caused unemployment, bankruptcy, and even homelessness! You've created so much chaos around the world for your own personal gain, and here you stand acting all innocent and respectful!" Warrior of Light finally lashed out in disgust, pointing the guilty finger without any remorse. “What makes you believe you could start acting all ‘friendly’ after everything you did!?”

He kept the volume of his voice as quiet as possible, bearing in mind about the lessons happening close beside them.

“Listen ... I’m-!”

“I have AMNESIA because of what you did!” Warrior of Light then bellowed, letting his emotions take control over him. “As my home burned to the ground, you laughed ... as I was left stranded in the streets, you laughed ... as I was neglected from the world, you laughed!”

Garland stood in silence.

"Right now, you should be locked up in the Dungeon Cells ... along with the rest of this planet's scum!"

Garland watched in silence as Warrior of Light's eyes continued to burn like a raging inferno. In comparison, Garland's eyes were blank, empty and unreadable.

And then, Warrior of Light noticed the man shaking his head in a subtle manner, lowering his glare for some odd reason.

"The Dungeon Cells ... is a place no living being would want to be locked up in." Garland eventually expressed, confessing in truth. "I was trapped in that horrific place for 5 years, tortured and broken apart. As I wasted away, I gave myself time to reflect on my faults and sins, including that fateful night. I knew that I did wrong, that I was beyond forgiveness. But alas, I chose to accept my punishment.

“My desire now is to become a changed being, to wipe the slate completely clean. I have tried and failed so many times, it was only because Headmistress Cosmos the option I longed for that I’m standing here today. She gave me the chance to enter society once again as a respectable civilian and even offered me a job within this Academy. For that, I am forever grateful to her kindness."

Hearing him out, Warrior of Light took a moment to gather in all this information, uncertainty and scepticism preventing him to take the excuses into consideration. The idea of Garland becoming a changed man – even becoming an English Teacher within Dissidia Academy – just did not sit well with him whatsoever.

This whole situation was completely absurd.

"I can’t trust you." Warrior of Light responded in caution, crossing his arms. “This is just wrong on so many levels.”

"Well, whatever you may think about me, we’ll have to settle these differences overtime. However, right now, we both have places to go and tasks to complete." Garland concluded with the shrug of his shoulders, realising that time was upon them. "I trust that you can reach your first lesson without my assistance?"

Warrior of Light let out a small nod.

"Then, I shall take my leave." He humbly accepted, stepping forward and passing the idle Warrior of Light. "I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon, whether that is in lesson … or by other means."

As Garland left, Warrior of Light was left on his own in the middle of the 5th Floor corridor, waiting until the man disappeared completely.

Feeling as though his mind had taken a fatal beating from the event that just transpired, he shook his head vigorously. It was all too much to comprehend at once, causing him to question whether life itself was messing with him for the simple amusement.

And yet, all he could do was brush it aside, as though he had to accept the turn of events regardless of his opinion on the matter.

Letting out a deep, bitter sigh, Warrior of Light thought no more of it and headed towards the Art Room.

 

**A Moment Later…**

Warrior of Light finally reached the door to his lesson, approaching the plaque that was drilled into the door, reading: Art Studio 1.

He straightened himself up appropriately, checking his uniform and bag so that everything was up-to-standard. In all honesty, he was just delaying the inevitability of facing the scrutiny and subsequent backlash for his late arrival. As Student Council President – along with being Class 13A’s President, it would be deemed hypocritical if he were to escape the consequences as he would endorse the same unto others if they were in his shoes.

Taking in a deep, calmed breath, he knocked on the door and finally headed inside.

As he entered, Warrior of Light noticed his fellow classmates of class 13A sitting in their assigned seats. All eyes were set on him, causing him to grow intimidated by their judging gaze. However, he tried his best to brush off the feeling as he stepped inside.

"Apologies for the lateness, Sir." He began his apology, keeping up his formal manner. "I had to … huh?"

As Warrior of Light examined the Art Studio fully, he noticed that the teacher was nowhere to be found.

The Art Studio itself was large and spacious, allowing students to move around with ease to utilize the variety of materials and apparatus for their projects. Its walls were filled with various images and works from both famous artists and notable students of the Academy, displaying the different types of movements and techniques commonly seen in the world of Art.

An understandable difference with this room from others in the Academy was the desks – or, more appropriately referred to as 'workspace'. They were considerably larger than the usual classroom desks, allowing more room for students to development their projects on.

In addition, at the front of the Art Studio was a large, towering white board. It displayed insightful facts and information on the famous Artists and Artwork known around the world, along with Art as a subject of creativity and its importance in society.

After a brief overview of the room, Warrior of Light switched back to his classmates, many of whom were continuing to stare at him with gawking and generally surprised expressions. It was as though they were watching something extraordinary unfold before their eyes, awaiting the pay-off.

Warrior of Light gazed back in caution, wondering what had possessed them to act so static and robotic. However, he ultimately decided to ignore, instead continuing to question whereabouts of the ‘missing’ teacher.

He chose to ask his classmates, "Do you guys know where the teacher-?"

“Ooh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh…!”

Warrior of Light abruptly froze, an eerie shiver slowly crawling up his spine.

"So … the 'Council President' decides to show up after all!" The haunting, over-the-top voice taunted above, "And here I was beginning to believe that the Academy elected a lazy-ass. Skiving. FAILURE for a President! Hehehehe-hee … It seems I may have to reconsider that though … ever-so slightly."

Warrior of Light gaze rapidly switched from one direction to the other as he attempted to find the owner of the mysterious voice. And yet, it was to no avail, for only his classmates were in his line of sight.

The students just continued to glare towards him speechlessly – or, to be exact, 'above him'.

"Where are you…?" Warrior of Light breathed firmly, refusing to give into the looming taunts. “Reveal yourself!”

"HERE I AM!" The manic voice roared in instant response.

During that very second, an upside-down, clown-like face appeared from above, causing Warrior of Light to literally jump up in fright. The unexpected startle sent him falling back uncontrollably due to loss of balance, showing no chance of recovering before-

_BANG!_

…smacking his head hard against the door behind him.

Warrior of Light slumped to the floor, his head woozy and consciousness faint. Through the aching head and the blurred visuals, he could just about hear the booming, overexcited laugher directly in front of him.

"WHOA-hohohoho-ho…! That was just PERFECT!" The voice roared out excitedly in his manic tone of voice, his laughing growing louder and more insane by the second. "Ho-ho-hoo … Welp, that’s my highlight of the year out of the way, and we're only on the FIRST DAY! I’m DYING of laughter here!"

Gradually, Warrior of Light began to sit himself up, his head throbbing extensively as he winced in pain. As his sights returned, he immediately caught sight of the culprit of his torment. From what he could gather, the man before him was clutching his abdomen as he tried to breathe through the hysterics, showing no remorse for his trickery on the poor student.

However, even with everything else that had happened to him throughout the day, Warrior of Light was completely caught off-guard by this current occurrence: the man was levitating in mid-air!

Acting as though he was lying on his back, the man continued to Bob up and down in the air like it was nothing to him. He was wearing the usual formal suit as seen worn by the other staff of the Academy – as one would expect at this point. And yet, he easily stood out from the rest with his eccentric body language and his face and skin.

In terms of his overall appearance, the man had purposely fashioned himself in a style that would resemble a harlequin or insane jester: His skin was as white as a ghost; his purple lips was twisted in a constant smile; and his light brown hair was secured back with a bunch of large, sky blue feathers and trinkets.

"Erm … y-you must be Mr Palazzo?" Warrior of Light dazedly guessed with a murmured stutter, struggling to regain his footing.

"Mr Palazzo? Ha! I'm not too fond of being addressed by such a name." The man spat with distaste, even though he continued his hysteric laughter regardless, "A pathetic insect like you may call me MASTER Palazzo, seeing as I RULE in these lessons! Hohoho-hoo…! Or, if you so desire, Kefka will do jus fine.”

“I … I see.” Warrior of Light nodded cautiously, straightening back into his usual formal posture to swiftly hide his embarrassment.

Wishing to escape the deranged lunatic he called a ‘teacher’, Warrior of Light directed his attention to his allocated seat, passing Kefka in the process. Kefka's eyes followed the student like daggers, ready to strike if deemed necessary.

Once Warrior of Light perched himself on his seat, Kefka casually flew over to the front of the classroom as if he was swimming, small chuckles escaping his every breath.

"Now then, let us … begin!" Kefka announced in a grandiose tone.

His tone of voice switched from lightly humorous to horrifying within the same sentence, his very words sending members of the Class on edge.

As Kefka began to make his long – and somewhat psychotic – speech, Warrior of Light eyes averted and searched the room. It did not take long for him to realise Cloud Strife was still missing from the group, meaning he was still in an unconscious state in the Medical Room. This was to be expected, seeing as it was not long ago since both Warrior of Light and Firion had transferred him over.

However, something else caught his sight: Terra Branford. Terra – who was sitting across the room from Warrior of Light – seemed particularly fidgety, showing signs of severe anxiousness as she observed Kefka’s erratic ranting. Warrior of light took intrigue in his behaviour, wondering how she was going to handle the next hour.

"…Now then, with the subject of Art: Artists are able to express their own desires and emotions through their own creativity and styles. The ideas of Impressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism are just a few examples that demonstrates the infinite possibilities of Art as a subject." Kefka continued to lecture, chuckling away feverishly as he expressed his passion to the Class. "But, personally, I don't fancy the 'peaceful' and 'drastically dull' artwork of early generations. No … I enjoy the EXPLOSIONS, the FLARE, and the INSANITY of recent generations! Hya-ha-ha-haa…!!! Ooh, you can just feel the CHAOS burning within the brushstrokes! It just makes you feel … wait for it … ALIVE!!!"

“Eek!”

A small squeak was heard from Terra, taken aback by Kefka's sudden outbursts.

“Stop your squirming!” Kefka immediately barked, disgusted by her ‘uncalled for’ disruption. “A pathetic child such as yourself has no right interrupting my declaration!”

Warrior of Light could read Terra like a book. He began to assume the possibility of some history between her and Kefka, based upon her reaction. She seemed particularly traumatized by the teacher, acting as if she could faint as any moment.

_Please don’t faint … surely one passed out classmate is more than enough for today?_

On the one hand, he prayed for this lesson to run smoothly without another ‘Cloud Strife’ situation. On the other hand, he began to feel sorry for the girl, empathizing with her on the torment she had to endure. For now, he preferred not to pursue out of general respect for his classmate.

He switched his sights back to the front of the classroom, continuing to listen to the madman for a teacher as he ranted on and on about the love for chaos and destruction.

The next hour was beyond unbearable.

 

**Lunch Break, 12:30pm…**

Lunch Break finally commenced across the Academy, the bell ringing out in a loud echo throughout the Buildings and Grounds of the Academy in loud, enthusiastic chimes.

A hoard of students rushed from their classrooms towards the direction of the Dining Hall, grasping their food money and tickets ready as they awaited to chow down on the cafeteria's exquisite dishes.

With that said, not all students were rushing towards the same direction, as some were already prepared with their own packed-lunches as a preferred option. Gathering with friends and groupies, they headed outside onto the surrounding Academy Grounds, taking in the strong rays of the Sun and relaxing atmosphere.

During this time, Warrior of Light was seen swerving and dodging the impatient crowds in desperation to reach the Academy Grounds. A brief flashback to the previous year reminded him of the constant hassle that became the dread of the day for many. Due to impatience for food, there was never a time when Warrior of Light was left unscathed as he transitioned through the crowd of students.

Thankfully, this did not last long, as Warrior of Light was eventually able reach the grounds after what felt like a never-ending barrage of accidental shoves and pushes. He took a moment to gain his breath back, wishing there was a more reasonable alternative to the usual route. Once regaining his energy, it did not take long for him to find a free bench – conveniently situated under a faraway cherry-blossom tree. It was vacant and out of the way from the crowds, perfect for anyone who preferred an ounce of peace.

Stepping over to the vacant bench at a swift pace, warrior of Light was constantly checking for anymore rushing students out of fear that his break would be interrupted.

Thankfully, there was none in sight.

He took no time to perch himself down on the bench, retrieving his packed-lunch from his backpack without a second thought. His lunch consisted of the simple-yet-classic BLT sandwich, a fresh apple, a small chocolate bar, and a bottle of natural-spring water.

Admittedly, it was a rather boring lunch. But, to him at least, it was beyond perfect.  

Sipping on his refreshing drink, Warrior of Light felt at peace. He was finally separate from all the inconvenience of both the students and teachers, and it allowed him time to reflect on his day without any interruption. The falling cherry-blossom petals helped clear his mind, giving him the moment of tranquillity he long desired.

Taking a deep breath, he grasped his sandwich and proceeded to take a bite.

"Ah-HAH! Light-o, there you are!" A load, enthusiastic voice called out abruptly.

_Chomp!_

Due to the abrupt burst of energy emerging before him, Warrior of Light had completely missed his sandwich and instead bit down on his own tongue.

This was then followed by a tremendous scream of agony, loud enough to be heard across the entirety of Dissidia Academy.

“…aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Every student and teacher halted in their tracks, glancing around in wonder of where the abrupt scream had originated from.

“Ow…! …Ouch…!”

“Pfft…! AH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAAA!!!”

Warrior of Light pressed down on his tongue with his thumb and finger, attempting to prevent the excess blood from seeping out. Sitting beside him, Tidus was seen laughing hysterically for the past 10 minutes, tears flowing from his squinting eyes as he was unable to breathe.

Warrior of Light, on the other hand, wasn't the slightest amused. In his thoughts, he was cursing Tidus non-stop, seeing as it was he who caused the Council President to accidently bite down on his own tongue in the first place.

"I'm glad you thind dis thunny. (I’m glad you find this funny!)" Warrior of Light sarcastically commented, continuing to down on his bitten tongue.

Tidus' over-the-top laughter was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Hahahaa … b-but that was just … TOO FREAKING FUNNY!" Tidus burst out in admittance as he gasped for air. "How in the world could you bite your tongue s-so … SO EASILY!?"

"It'sth not like I dthid it on purposth! (It’s not like I did it on purpose!)" Warrior of Light then tried to argue, squeezing tightly and painfully on his tongue without even realising due to his rising frustration.

Ever since he bit his tongue, he was unable to eat any of his lunch whatsoever. He could feel his stomach growling in hunger, grumbling loudly as though shouting out in desperation that it desired to be fed. And yet, all he could do was apply a sliver of his mineral water to frequently clean the blood off his tongue.

Carefully, Warrior of Light lifted his finger and thumb off his tongue, feeling that the cut created from the bite had finally stopped gushing out with blood.

During that time, he caught Tidus staring down at his lunch with a strong gaze, acting as though he was thoroughly inspecting its quality.

"Your food seems kinda … dull." Tidus lowly muttered in opinion, his wondrous eyes locked in place. “Wait. You don’t have this _every day_ , do you?”

Just then, Warrior of Light felt something snap in the depths of his mind, feeling his temper brewing from below.

"Argh!!!” Warrior of Light groaned out in anger, hastily moving his lunch out of Tidus' view. “Is there a reason why you're here!? Or, do you just want to bother me?"

"Whoa, whoa … chill out, buddy!" Tidus waved to show his innocence, finding his fellow classmate’s outburst rather unexpected. "I just wanted to hang out, that's all."

"Well, why me?” Warrior of Light bitterly questioned, finding it odd that Tidus preferred to hang out with him rather than his usual gang of friends. “What about Cloud, Cecil, and Firion? I thought they were your go-to guys?”

"See, usually I would, but … Cloud's still out cold in the Medical Room; Firion said to me that he had an ‘errand’ to take care of; and Cecil's having a meeting with Professor Golbez, who conveniently happens to be his older brother and our Astronomy Teacher." Tidus answered in length, numbering off with his fingers as he explained the situation. “So, yeah … I’ve been ditched.”

"…What about you?” Warrior of Light continued to question as he chewed on his sandwich, his hunger finally overcoming pain. “You’re the Blitzball Captain, correct? Do you not have training or something along those lines?"

"Nope. I have training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I’m usually free on the odd-days." Tidus answered ecstatically, showing of a care-free grin. "Besides, I always see you wondering about the Academy on your own. You’re not hanging out with friends or anything. Normally, you’re always working and showing a serious attitude towards everyone you come across.”

Warrior of Light listened silently, his chewing gradually slowing as he too the words in.

“Thinking about it, you're kinda like Squall in some ways … just without the gloominess atmosphere hanging around you, along with the lack of care in the world.” Tidus continued to express, “So, I thought I should help you lighten up a little. Get to know you and stuff … seeing as I have nothing else to do."

"Is that so…?" Warrior of Light glanced towards him oddly, finding this side honesty from him pleasantly surprising.

He couldn't understand how Tidus was always os cheerful and full of energy, let alone the process of his sudden and crazy decision making. However, he also felt somewhat grateful, taking in his classmate’s words to heart.

Maybe it wasn’t what he hoped for, but it was still a moment of fresh air he long desired.

Under the blissful cherry-blossom tree, Warrior of Light found that he was in a peaceful state. He was admittedly enjoying the unexpected company, something he never thought he would appreciate – especially from Tidus, of all people.

"Well, thank you for the concern." Warrior of Light smirked as he nodded with gratitude, finishing off the BLT in the process.

Tidus then leapt to his feet, a sudden – and most likely absurd – idea popping up in his head, "Hey! Maybe we should practice some Blitzball drills, you and me! It would be SO AWESOME! And then, we could-!"

He then abruptly froze.

"Ah, apologies. I was never a Blitzball fan. However, I wouldn’t mind-…" Warrior of Light admitted in honestly, before switching round to notice Tidus’ sudden change of tone. “Is something wrong?”

As he glanced at Tidus, Warrior of Light immediately noticed him staring off to the distance of the Academy Grounds, his face was lit up with a wondrous, yet abnormally cautious expression. Something had clearly caught his attention, albeit Warrior of Light was uncertain as to its significance.

Suddenly, Tidus leapt up onto the bench to gain a better view, his eyes completely focused on the far-off distance. Shocked by his abrupt change of tune, Warrior of Light hastily shuffle back from his initial seating position, covering his remaining food in the process.

"Hey! Feet off the bench!” Warrior of Light barked in repulse, switching to his ‘Council President’ mode in a flash. “Ehat in the world has gotten into you?”

However, he initially received no response.

After a moment of observation, Tidus abruptly leaped back off the bench in haste.

"Err … sorry, Light! Got to go!" Tidus called out in a nervous chuckle, before racing off in the distance of the opposite direction. “I’ll see you back in class!”

Within a mere flash, Tidus was nowhere to be seen. Warrior of Light sat staring in bewilderment, unable to grasp what had just happened. Everything had happened so fast that he was left completely oblivious to the situation.

"What was that all about...?" Warrior of Light quietly murmured to himself, unable to justify the event that just occurred. “…Weird.”

He then shook his head, brushing away the odd situation and got ready to eat his apple. However, as he was just about to take a bite, he heard a fellow student roar out from the distance.

“…Run…!”

He immediately switched round to the direction of the voice, not knowing what to expect.

And then … his mouth fell open in an instant, his eyes widening in terror.

Who he saw was none other than Squall Leonhart, fleeing for his life. His jaw clenched tightly and streams of sweat flying off his mug, there was no doubt that he was in jeopardy.

Behind him was an enormous dust cloud, consuming everything in its wake. Students caught in its path had either leapt for cover or was instantly consumed, letting out horrified screams as the cloud engulfed them.

However, it was not the dust cloud itself that terrified both Warrior of Light and Squall … it was the group of students that were causing it to form.

"That's … a lot of females." Warrior of Light ushered out from the back of his throat, his body frozen in place.

A large cluster of female students were chasing Squall with love-struck expressions, showing no signs of stopping until they have their target.

His body snapping into action, Warrior of Light hastily packed up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He had no choice but to move, preferring not to imagine what would happen if he was caught in the crossfire.

There was a problem. The moment he straightened up … loud, deafening screams echoed across the Academy Grounds.

“““KYAAAAAAAAA…!!!”””

Warrior of Light was now a target.

Squall, who was not slowing down, realised what had just occurred immediately.

"RUN! NOW!" He roared out, panting and wheezing as he continued to be chased.

Before Warrior of Light could react, Squall shot passed him at lightning speed. As he passed, he grabbed Warrior of Light by the collar. Without warning, Warrior of Light jolted from his position and had joined Squall in the escape against his own will. He rapidly gained a speed that matched Squall’s, feeling somewhat as though he had just entered the Track Team.

Close behind then, the hoard of 'fan girls' were relentlessly on their tail.

"What’s going on!?” Warrior of Light called out towards Squall in desperation, demanding answers for this new dilemma. “Why are these girls chasing us!?"

"You've … become their new target!" Squall answered back, trying to find his words through all of the panting and gasping. "They’ll not stop until they've caught a victim!"

"And … what’ll happen if they do!?" Warrior of Light continued to question, he could feel his stomach churning as he ran through the Grounds.

"Honestly … I’d rather not know?!" Squall answered hopelessly, wishing this nightmare would end. "Let's just say: no one has ever ‘lived’ to tell the tale!"

"…Oh." Warrior of Light realised under his breath, horror striking a nerve in his body.

Both Squall and Warrior of Light sped round a nearby corner, trying to catch their pursuers off-guard as much as possible. The two kept an eye out for whatever hidden gaps or spaces as a means of a swift escape, praying that the gods would offer them a miracle.

They continued to run parallel with the Academy's building, not dropping their pace for a second. During that moment, Warrior of Light caught sight of a small, well-hidden side-door leading into the west side of the building.

It was one of the Academy’s Fire Exits … and it was the perfect hiding place.

"Quick! Through here!" Warrior of Light nudged Squall in haste, hoping their pursuers were oblivious to the escape route.

Noticing the door, Squall nodded back with a firm expression.

The two timed themselves, before diving through the small door and out of the sights of their pursuers. Merely seconds later, the hoard of female students passed the door, causing both Warrior of Light and Squall to duck low behind the nearest cover.

There hearts racing, breaths heavy, and sanities on edge: the two knew they would have been caught if they had missed the escape.

Finally, the pursuers had disappeared … and the world around them fell silent.

"T-that … was close." Warrior of Light forced out a sigh of relief, kneeling on the carpet of the small corridor as he tried to regain his breath.

Squall took a moment to do the same, gasping for some much-needed oxygen. And then, after a moment of respite, he struggled to his feet. His whole body was violently shaking, immediately regretting the excessive running they had to endure.

"It was … inevitable. You became their target the moment you were announced as the new Council President." Squall began to explain in a low mutter, taking in many deep recovery breaths in the process. "Ever since this morning’s assembly, they've been tracking you down relentlessly."

"A-are you serious!?” Warrior of Light blurted out in horror, unable to believe this revelation. “What about you? Why were they chasing you?"

Squall briefly fell silent, evidently hesitant to answer.

"I … passed by and said … ‘hi’." He finally admitted, hiding his fce in embarrassment as he answered in an almost inaudible mumble.

"Hold on … THAT'S IT!?" Warrior of Light blurted in horror.

“SHUSH!” Squall quickly hushed him, placing his finger against his own lips.

Warrior of Light hastily covered his mouth in realisation.

“Yeah … when Bartz and Zidane found out about my mistake, they disappeared and left me behind.” Squall murmured bitterly, his teeth grinding hard the moment he mentioned the two names. “… Some friends they are.”

“How typical of them…” Warrior of Light tutted, knowing Zidane and Bartz well enough from his earlier encounter. “Anyway, how is it looking outside?”

"I … I think they're gone now." Squall cautiously assumed, placing an ear against the Fire Exit door.

He then indicated with the 'all clear' and gradually opened the door. Warrior of Light rose to his feet, returning to a respectable posture before following Squall back out into the open.

Even though they were back out onto the Grounds, the two continuously checked all directions.

"My guess is that they'll be roaming the Front Entrance of the Academy, so be on the lookout." Squall warned in caution, paranoia setting in his mind.

Warrior of Light silently nodded in response, trusting his instincts.

The two headed over to the Front Entrance, passing the bench under the cherry-blossom tree. With his stomach continuing to growl, Warrior of Light had no choice but to save the remainder of his lunch for a later time.

Suddenly, as they closed in on the Entrance, Squall halted his movement.

“Wait!”

He abruptly forced Warrior of Light to the side, the two hiding away against the nearby wall.

"What are you-!?" Warrior of Light barked out, before noticed Squall holding up a finger once again to silence him.

As though by instinct, the two poked their heads out from their cover. They then watched as Cloud Strife emerged from the Academy’s doors, still slightly dazed and holding a coffee cup in his palm.

"Finally, some fresh air." Cloud sighed out in relief, rubbing the small bump on his forehead.

He drew in for another sip of his hot coffee, anticipating the sweet sense of revitalization.

However, as he was about to take his sip, sudden echoes of feminine screams were heard from the distance.

“Hm…?”

Cloud switched around, wondering where the screams were coming from. The screams grew louder and louder, and both Warrior of Light and Squall could only watch in horror as the inevitable events began to unfold.

“What the-!?”

The hoard of female students appeared into view from all directions, ambushing the oblivious Cloud. The surrounded him like an infestation, clutching at his clothes and limbs without remorse.

"Wh-what's going on!? Where are you taking me!? W-wait … WAIT!" Cloud bellowed out, unable to break free from the group’s unbreakable clutches.

With no possible escape route, Cloud was left trapped at their mercy. He was completely immobilized, being dragged away to the unavoidable abyss that awaited him.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo…!!!”

Warrior of Light and Squall gazed sorrowfully as Cloud disappeared into the darkness, desperately attempting to break free from the cage of the group’s giggly grasps.

"Cloud … was a valiant ally." Squall stated in his usual dark, gloomy tone, saluting his fallen classmate as a sign of respect. "His sacrifice will never be forgotten."

"You sound like he's going to DIE!" Warrior of Light gasped at him in horror, finding this whole situation unbelievably absurd.

 

**Dissidia Academy, 3:00pm…**

The final bell rang out across the halls, signalling the end of lessons for the day.

Students in their various groups left the classrooms feeling free and alive. They began their usual chatter amongst one another, highlighting their day and what their plans were once they exited the Academy building. Whilst most left the Academy without hesitation, others dwindled behind, completing any outstanding tasks.

During this time, Class 13A concluded their final lesson of the day: Maths. As they heard the bell, they swiftly packed up and headed off in their separate directions:

Squall was the first to leave, taking no time to separate himself from Zidane and Bartz – who were constantly nagging him throughout the lesson.

Tidus rounded up his usual gang of misfits: him seemingly ecstatic as always, Firion and Cecil deep in conversation regarding a recent debate, and Cloud left trailing from behind. It was apparent that Cloud’s encounter with the hoard of female students had left him in a traumatized state. So, to empathize with his close friend, Tidus constantly attempted to perk his spirits up.

Terra and Onion Knight headed off at their own pace, both seemingly relieved to see the day finally end.

And finally, Warrior of Light packed up his equipment and slung his backpack over his shoulder, ready to move.

However, just as he was about to leave, Firion tapped on his shoulder.

"Hey, do you want to walk home with us?" Firion suggested curiously, a calm smile beaming across his face. “We’re thinking of hitting the arcades along the way.”

"Oh. Sorry, Firion. I need to speak with Headmistress regarding the upcoming Council meetings." Warrior of Light answered back, shaking his head apologetically. "Maybe some other time?"

In response, Firion cheerfully shrugged, "Fair enough. Just be sure to let me know about the Council plans tomorrow."

"Yes, I’ll let you know when I have everything in order." Warrior of Light grinned in return, waving Firion and the rest of the group off.

As they left, Warrior of Light briefly heard Tidus making a small comment to the other three:

"Light seems to be visiting the Headmistress a lot today. Sounds to me like they're all buddy-buddy! Ahahaa…!"

…before disappearing from sight.

**Soon After…**

Warrior of Light swiftly reached the Top Floor of the Academy, racing up the vacant staircase without any opposing issues. He reached the Headmistress' Office in no time and patiently knocked on the door.

_Knock-Knock!_

“Come in.”

He heard the usual call from the Headmistress and entered upon command.

As he stepped into the office, he saw Headmistress Cosmos standing up from her desk. She was overseeing the students from her window, casually watching as they exited the Academy. It was as if she was a Goddess to the Academy, balancing her work as Headmistress whilst also maintaining the well-being of her students.

"It's nice to see the Academy’s First Semester start off on a high, would you not agree?" Cosmos cheerfully spoke out, twisting round to face Warrior of Light with a cool, innocent smile across her face.

"Well, it certainly was an ‘interesting start’ … that's for certain." Warrior of Light answered back in an anxious chuckle, reflecting on his odd experiences throughout the day.

With that, the two began their meeting. Cosmos briefed him on the tasks that were to be investigated before the Council meeting on Friday, such as: upcoming events, any notable issues that may need to be addressed, and so on. In addition, she passed over a sheet of paper, breaking down the tasks she planned for him to pursue.

"I'm sure this will all be simple enough for you, Council President.” She coolly grinned, showing confidence in the boy. “Ah! Before I forget. You’ll be joined by Cid of the Lufaine at some point during Friday’s meeting, so make sure you have a lot to discuss with him."

Warrior of Light gleefully agreed and accepted the sheet of paper, slipping it inside his backpack.

However, just as he zipped up the bag, his expression turned to uncertainty. There was something that stuck in his mind throughout the day … a question that he wished to bring up before it was too late.

He glanced at the Headmistress with a firm gaze.

"Cosmos, if may I ask: Why did you employ Garland into the Academy?" He requested, hoping to settle his mind once and for all. “It’s just not sitting right with me, especially with all the harm he has caused in the past.”

The Headmistress stood silent for a moment, dipping her head in hesitance.

She knew he would ask the question, seeing it in his eyes when he previously entered her office. However, she had hoped the whole situation avoided a possible misunderstanding, aware of the hysteria it could cause throughout the Academy.

"Garland appeared before me, pleading o wipe the slate clean. He continuously acknowledged his previous wrongdoings … and promised not to repeat those same mistakes." Cosmos finally began to explain, taking in a deep breath as she spoke. "At first, I outright refused his wishes. I thought to myself that he ‘wasn’t to be trusted, no matter the excuse’. However, as I further examined him … I realised he was telling the truth.

“And so, I decided to help him. I hired him as an English Teacher for the Academy, and I’ve placed numerous measures to monitor his actions in case he decides to go against his promises.”

"You’ve known of his sins!" Warrior of Light argued back, hoping that there was some sense of justification for the Headmistress' risky decision. “He had ruined so many lives … including mine!”

"I am well aware.” Cosmos responded with an understanding nod. “You have nothing to worry about, Warrior of Light. I have taken both his and your words into consideration and have taken full responsibility for this decision.”

Warrior of Light drew back with hesitance, unable to find the words.

"All I can tell you now is that you'll just have to trust me." Cosmos assured him.

Warrior of Light held his silence, refusing to give an answer. He strapped the backpack over his shoulder once again, deciding to take his leave.

"I will see you tomorrow, Warrior of Light." She called out in farewell, her kind smile illuminating towards him.

Warrior of Light waved back at her in goodbye before exiting the office … but did not say another word.

As the door closed, Cosmos sat back down on her desk, letting out a saddened sigh before commencing to her various reports.

Just then, not long after Warrior of Light left, another knock was heard from the door.

"Come in." Cosmos formally called out, concentrating on her reports.

_Click…!_

The door opened … and the sound of large, booming footsteps echoed throughout the office.

"That boy certainly likes to involve himself on the businesses of others." A deep, menacing voice expressed.

"Warrior of Light has very valid reasons to know about the changes going on within the Academy." Cosmos stated truthfully, her eyes locked onto her reports. "He is a promising student, and will certainly lead a successful life. However, he is held back by his own setback, and he’ll never be able to move forward if they continue to loom over him."

"If you say so, Cosmos." The deep voice accepted, letting out disgruntled tut.

Cosmos halted her reports, hesitating momentarily. She refused to look up at the being before her, knowing it would only cause more stress on her.

The man that stood before her was to be the new Headmaster of Dissidia Academy. No matter what arguments and excuses Cosmos tried to use against the Academy’s Governing Body, the decision was final.

In her heart, Cosmos despised the fact that she would soon be replaced against her own will by such a man. There was no doubt that everything she had done for the Academy would be abolished by the time she leaves. There was nothing she could do to prevent the inevitable, only appreciate the time she had left.

Cosmos placed down her black-inked pen and bitterly raised her head, meeting eye-to-eye with the man who towered over her.

The man was no ordinary man. Everything other than his suit differed from the norm. He was roughly twice the height of Sir Garland and gave the impression that he could take down the building with a singular punch. He had four brutal-looking arms – all of which could choke out anyone who opposed him with ease – and two large, demonic wings with piercing talons.

To top it off: he had the face of a demon.

His enlarged fangs were razor-sharp, his hauntingly grotesque eyes were filled with red, and the oversized horns on top of his head could skewer his victims without restriction.

Regardless of her thoughts, Cosmos held her usual pleasant aura, grinning sweetly as she decided to ask the man a simple question:

"Is there anything I can help you with … Deputy-Headmaster Chaos?"

 

**End of Volume 1.**


	4. Vol.2 - Wake Up Call

** Volume 2: Admiration **

 

“Mm…?”

Cloud Strife's drowsy eyes flickered open, everything around him a blur.

“What’s … going on…?”

As time passed, he groggily began to regain his senses, gradually being able to focus on what was around him. The first that caught his attention was the plain yet heavenly ceiling directly above him. The unique patterns and swirls mesmerized him, his imagination wondering with its heavenly aura.

Then, his eyes diverted, noticing a series of large crystal-white curtains surrounding him, further adding to the therapeutic atmosphere. As he momentarily lifted his head, he immediately felt a puffed-up pillow gently rub against the back of his head. Additionally, he noticed the blank-white duvet laid out over the top of his body.

Cloud’s suspicions were quickly confirmed: he had woken up in a bed that was not his own.

Usually, he would begin to panic, fretting over the fact that he was somewhere he had never been before and no clue as to how he got there in the first place. However, he had no energy in him to react so excessively. Instead, he began to reflect on the events prior to his current predicament.

As expected though, everything that occurred to him throughout the day was a complete haze, with only brief glimpses of memory appearing on brief occasions.

…such as the early-morning Blitzball practise with Tidus.

_Oh … now I remember._

Just then, through that small snippet of memory, the events all came flooding back to him.

"Ah, so you're finally awake." A sweet and innocent voice suddenly spoke out, causing Cloud to jump up in fright. "Welcome back to the living."

Cloud immediately switched direction to where he heard the voice, not knowing what to expect. And then, the moment he met eyes with the voice’s owner, his heart instantly skipped a beat.

The person who he laid eyes upon gave off a therapeutic aura, as if she was a guardian angel watching over him from above. Her face was smooth and delicate, showing of a sweet and innocent smile that would calm any troubled soul. Her long, chocolate-brown, plaited hair was tied back with a simple hairband, and yet it flowed so majestically. Finally, to add to the heavenly feel, she wore what seemed to be a pure white uniform.

Cloud hastily shook his head, snapping out of his consuming trance.

As one would expect, a plethora of questions began to pop into his mind. Shuffling through the batch, he decided to begin with the simplest.

"Wh-where am I?" He dazedly requested, examining the area around him once again as he woozily sat up on the bed. "Am I … dead?"

"Wha-!? No, no! Don’t be ridiculous! You're in the Academy's Medical Room." The girl hastily responded, letting out a fit of giggles upon hearing his question. "You're two classmates carried you down here saying you collapsed during Homeroom."

_Great … of course I did._ His thoughts echoed out in a disgruntled murmur, briefly glancing away in embarrassment.

Whilst his memories of the day came back to him, his time during Homeroom with still rather hazy. He could just about remember listening to Professor Shantotto’s speech, Bartz Klauser being blasted to be back of the classroom, and after that … it was a blank.

Through this, he realised that the lack of sleep had hit him like a truck, his head still throbbing from the impact.

He began to sooth it, flinching as his fingers made contact with the mall bump that had formed overtime.

"Well … thank you for looking after me … err…" Cloud began to state in gratitude, showing appreciation to the mysterious girl who tended to his care.

"Aerith Gainsborough." The girl answered to him sweetly. "I help out here as a Student Nurse."

"Th-thank you … Aerith." Cloud shyly stuttered in echo, trying to hide his flustered face.

Aerith nodded cheerfully in acknowledgement, accepting his gratitude wholeheartedly.

She then nonchalantly placed her palm on his forehead, checking to see if the swelling was beginning to diminish. He felt her smooth, soft touch comfort his forehead, causing him to reach the peak of anxiousness.

With his face burning bright red and body as tense as it ever could be, Cloud felt cornered by this unexpected situation.

"Hmm … it seems to be settling down now. Just to be on the safe side, though: you should probably sooth it with an ice-pack every so often." Aerith began to explain with her kind smile, completely oblivious to Cloud's highly flustered expression. "And, in my opinion, a cup of freshly brewed coffee would help with the drowsiness."

"Oh … right!" Cloud nodded hastily, barely paying much attention.

Aerith moved her palm off from Cloud's forehead and straightened up, indicating that she was ultimately satisfied with his recovery. she followed up be dragging back the curtains that surrounded him, revealing the Medical Room in its entirety.

Seeing this as a sign to move, Cloud began to shuffle himself over to the edge of the bed. He noticed his shoes were neatly placed on the floor directly below, taking no time to slip back into them. He finally checked the time, noticing the clock that hung on the wall to the left of him:

It read 12:23pm.

_Wait … I’ve been unconscious for 4 Hours!?_ He abruptly realised, his eyes widened with disbelief.

He quickly began to tie up his shoelaces – hoping to leave the Medical Room and regroup with Tidus, Firion and Cecil as soon as he could. If he was lucky enough, he would be able to stop off for some coffee on the way to the Academy Grounds.

However, as he did this, Cloud heard Aerith's soft voice call out from the distance.

"Oh … you’re ALL here to visit Cloud?" Aerith wondered curiously, sounding as though she was surprised. “He’s just about to leave, but … if you insist.”

_Did … did she just say ‘all’!?_

Frozen in place, Cloud’s body completely tensed up as the sense of terror began to consume him. The atmosphere around him was close to suffocating, as if several pairs of eyes were staring at him. He  

His mind overcome with fear, Cloud cautiously turned his head.

“…Oh…”

He immediately gave out a small whimper, emulating that of a small pup.

He was immediately surrounded by a hoard of female students. They all stood over him, faces gleaming with excitement as they slowly closed in. Cloud forced a grin to hide his inner nervousness, knowing that no matter what he tried to do next … he was trapped.

And then, he twitched.

““Kyaaaaaaaaaa…!!!!!””

In that instant, the female students in unison screamed at the top of their voices ecstatically. Their screams were loud enough to pierce the eardrums of anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in range, shattering windows and other types of glass without resistance.

Cloud leapt out of his skin in fright, swiftly realising that he was now in major trouble. The group towered over him from every direction, their hands ready to reach out and latch onto him.

He was trapped, with no possible escape.

"N-no, please don't!" Cloud cried out in panic, hastily shuffling back on his bed as he braced himself for the worst. "NOOOoooooo...!!!"

And then … the world faded into darkness.

 

**Reality, 7:00am…**

Cloud tossed and turned in his sleep, letting out quiet, terrified moans. His body was completely drenched in sweat, trying desperately to escape his nightmare.

However, as he continued to drift, a knock was heard from the door on the other side of the room.

_Knock-knock-knock…!_

"Oi, Cloud! It's time to wake up!" A voice called out in a loud and energetic tone, obliviously entering the room without a second thought. "Come on, man! It's not the weekend yet! You’ll be late if you continued to sleep in!"

As he approached the bed, the man caught notice of Cloud’s inner torment. The man immediately deduced that Cloud was trapped in a nightmare, which had become a common occurrence ever since he started the new semester at Dissidia Academy. Although he had yet to find out why his friend was having these nightmares in the first place, he came to the assumption at it had something to do with recent trauma that occurred whist he was at the Academy.

At first, the man felt concerned for Cloud, wishing he could help his friend in some way…

"N-no … please don't…!” Cloud moaned in his sleep, his face continuing to steam with sweat. “G-get … get away from … me!”

…The man then showed an evil, somewhat scheming grin as an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

He trod up closer to Cloud's bed, flexing his shoulders to ease the joints in his arms.

"Hm-hm-hmm … oh, don't you worry, Cloud. I'll save you from your nightmare." The man assured the oblivious sleeping Cloud, chuckling away as stretched his body out.

He loomed over Cloud's bed with an increasingly menacing, his body free of restriction as he began to put his plan into action.

Just then, he firmly grasped his right bicep as he tensed up his muscles. He raised his arm to a roughly 90˚ angle, refusing to divert his attention from the oblivious Cloud throughout the process. With legs spread out to shoulder-width apart and emulating a proud stance, the man drew in a deep, calming breath.

"Time for the good old…" The man peacefully exhaled.

However – like a spark – the man's tone of voice abruptly switched to loud and monstrous.

“ELBOW DROP!"

The man leapt high in the air, almost reaching the ceiling of the bedroom. With his elbow out, he aimed for Cloud's abdomen. Eyes locked on target, the man descend and struck his prey with full force.

_BAM!_

“ACK!!!!”

In immediate effect, the startled Cloud woke up in the most painful and abrupt way possible. The man's elbow crushed his abdomen without warning, causing the air in his lungs to escape him.

Tears broke from the sockets of Cloud’s eyes, gasping out as he desperately to regain oxygen. To sooth the agony, he hastily wrapped his arms around his abdomen, unable to control his body as it rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

_Bang!_

Cloud rolled around on the floor in the foetal position, continuing to gasp and wheeze. During this time, A shadow loomed over him, watching him from directly above. Cloud hesitantly glared upwards in response, his eyes red and streaming with tears of pain.

“…Urgh…!” Cloud grunted breathlessly, completely devoid of words.

And then, a loud, hysterically menacing laughter echoed throughout the room, the man towering above Cloud crossing his arms in triumph.

"HAHAHAHAA! Now THAT … is a wake-up call!" The man bellowed out in a fit of giggles.

"W-why did you … have to do that … Zack!?" Cloud blurted as air finally returned to his lungs.

"Ah, so you're still able to say my name after that?” The man – known as Zack – playfully joked in response. “Hahahaa…! I feel so honoured!"

Zack Fair was Cloud's best friend and fellow housemate of their two-bedroomed rented apartment. He had long, spikey jet-black hair with his bangs/fringe parting both ways, and bright-blue Mako-filled eyes. Standing at a tall 6ft 3in, he slightly dwarfed Cloud’s 5ft 7in. Additionally, he was significantly toned, the muscles on show being fairly bulked up to the point that he was a force on nature if opposed.

Whilst Cloud was still a student of Dissidia Academy, Zack had already completed his studies a few years prior. Since then, he had taken up arms as a full-time 2nd Class operative of SOLDIER, a super-soldier program linked to the Shinra Electric Power Company based in a nearby city.

His dream: to reach 1st Class status and become a hero to the world.

Zack held out his hand to Cloud, his face beaming with optimism and positivity. Although cautious at first, Cloud accepted the help. As he was lifted onto his feet, he could not help but wince. He could still feel the pain in his abdomen, letting out struggling breathes to endure it.

"You didn't need to … e-elbow me in the gut." Cloud painfully wheezed, soothing his abdomen in the process.

"What are you talking about?” Zack cheerfully pointed out. “You should be thanking me. After all, I just did you a solid and saved you from another one of your ‘nightmares’."

“Yeah, but could you have done it in a less … excessive way?” He then refuted in a low groan.

As he watched Zack shrug back in innocence, Cloud reflected on how his week of nightmares began to consume his dreams – much to his dread of the thought.

Ever since the ‘incident’ during the first day back at the Academy, the group of girls had frequently invaded his dreams, thoughts and memories.

It was absolute torture for him.

Cloud began to wonder when these series of nightmares would eventually end, desiring for a decent night sleep for a change. Zack noticed Cloud's troubled expression, letting out a light sigh as he understood the dilemma his friend.

"Standing around here isn't going to get us anywhere, you know?" Zack stated in honestly, casually placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "We have places to be and stuff to do."

With that, he turned and made his way towards the bedroom door, flexing the elbow he used to wake Cloud up with. Cloud watched as he left the scene, keeping silent as he took the time to compose himself.

 

**Dining Room, 7:15am…**

Cloud eagerly munched on the slices of toast, only now realising the depths of his hunger. He had already scoffed down the eggs and bacon that was included with the breakfast, with only the cereal and mug of coffee remaining.

As Cloud continued to consume, Zack watched him with a stunned gaze.

"Since when did you become such a … glutton?" Zack questioned hesitantly, sipping his own mug of coffee at reasonable pace.

Cloud temporarily paused on his mass consumption, acknowledging Zack’s comment with a wary glare … before returning to the food.

Within minutes, Cloud had demolished his remaining breakfast. Feeling as though his mission was accomplished, he sat back on his seat with a hand on his stomach. Holding back the burp at began to brew, he felt satisfied with his first meal of the day.

"It's weird, I don't even know why I'm this hungry." Cloud admitted anxiously, embarrassed by his sudden urge for food.

"Well, for now … I'm just thankful that I ate my breakfast before waking you up." Zack laughed awkwardly, placing down his mug of coffee.

Cloud began to sip his own coffee, feeling the refreshing taste revive his energy.

Ever since he collapsed from over-tiredness during Homeroom, Cloud’s reliance on coffee became mandatory inclusion to his daily life. In order to survive another sleep-related incident – whether it would be through Tidus’ early-morning antics, or by similar means – he would ensure that a coffee was at the ready to revitalize him.

Some may say it was a ridiculous plan, but for him … it was a matter of life and death.

As the two continued the gulp back their coffees, Cloud decided to keep an eye on the time. Glancing over to the clock on the far-off kitchen wall, he could see it was only 7:20am – meaning he still had some time to relax until his full day of studying.

Zack and Cloud's kitchen/dining room combo was rather small and simple, consisting of the essential equipment for cooking and storing food. Due to their current lack of a decent budget, the room was barren. This was not too much of a problem for either of them, though; if it was comfortable and served the basics for living, the two were contempt with what they had.

Just then, Zack abruptly snapped his fingers, acting as though a small light bulb had clicked on in his mind. Cloud, having gulped down the last of his coffee, glanced at him with heightened curiosity.

"I just remembered! You have Geography today, right?" Zack asked ecstatically, his face beaming with rising excitement.

"Yeah … why do you ask?" Cloud responded with uncertainty, cautiously wondering where this conversation was leading to.

"Well starting today … Sephiroth will be tutoring your lessons!” Zack leapt up to his feet, a cheerful smile strapped across his face. “He announced a few days ago that he would be taking a break from his SOLDIER 1st Class job indefinitely."

For a small moment, Cloud blankly stared at his friend – the unexpected announcement taking time to process in his head. However, he eyes widened with sudden surprise in a snap. He had no idea how to respond to this news, silently questioning whether this was just a joke.

Sephiroth – as stated by Zack – was a SOLDIER 1st Class operative and Zack’s senior. At Shinra, he was the top dog. He was seen by the large majority as a one-of-a-kind hero, inspiring those to follow in his footsteps and serve their nation. This thought had even made its way into Dissidia Academy, with numerous students proclaiming to join SOLDIER as soon as they graduate.

For Zack, the moment he joined SOLDIER, he saw Sephiroth as a rival and a goal. He occasionally declared that he would one day catch up to his senior so that he would achieve the status of ‘hero’. It was a momentous task, even going so far as to work and train after-hours just to boost his reputation within the company.

Thinking it though, Cloud was all in favour for Sephiroth becoming a teacher for the Academy, imagining what he would bring to the table with regards to his previous ventures and experiences. That being said, a part of his mind seemed was unsure of the idea, feeling as though there was far too much mystery surrounding the change of occupation to make it a simple ‘break from SOLDIER’.

As questions formed in his mind, Cloud decided to pursue for answers.

"Why would Sephiroth wish to take a break from SOLDIER?" He asked Zack, casually sipping away at a second mug of coffee, "What does he hope to gain out of this?"

"I’ll be honest, I haven’t the slightest idea.” Zack answered back with a shrug, scratching his head as he attempted to remember back to when this had been announced. “He just stated that he ‘desired to pursue other projects for the time being’. He never actually gave detail from what I remember."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully, eyes lowering in thought as he silently finished off his second coffee. However, a small chuckle from Zack's direction caused Cloud to once again raise his eyes, wondering what he had to say this time.

"I guess there is this ‘other’ thing … I've got myself a date." Zack coolly announced, showing off a cheesy and innocent smile.

“ _*PFFT…!*_ ”

Within an instant, Cloud spat out his drink in abrupt shock. Zack swiftly ducked under the table, avoiding the spray of projectile coffee.

"You!? A date!?" Cloud blurted in shock, coffee dripping from his chin. "What 'poor' soul would accept a blockheaded fool like you!?"

"Hey! No need to be so harsh about it!" Zack drew back, feeling insulted by Cloud's statement. "All I'll say for now is that she's … sweet and cute."

After swiftly cleaning himself up with a towel, Cloud squinted at Zack with a judging glare.

"…Is it Cissnei?" He then questioned in an interrogative tone, eyes locked onto Zack like daggers across the table.

"Huh..? Cissnei!? Nooooo … No-no-no, it isn't her." Zack shook his head, looking somewhat disappointed for some reason. "You know how many times I got turned down by her! Didn’t I tell you that she ‘prefers to concentrate with her Turk work’."

Cloud silently grinned at the thought as he knew exactly the amount of times Cissnei turned Zack down: 17 times over the span of 4 years.

The fact that Zack continued to pursue her after each decline was beyond him entirely.

However, the idea of Zack successfully dating a new girl greatly intrigued Cloud, questioning who this mysterious person was or how they got to know one another. With that said, he needed more information about this ‘mysterious female’ in order to grasp an idea of how their relationship was going to unfold overtime.

That is … if this person was even real, of course.

"Seriously though, I need more than just 'sweet' and 'cute'." Cloud stated in a stern tone, not letting this pass so easily. "Come on, do you have any other hint about her? Occupation? Interests? … Anything?"

"Ah-hah … all in good time, my friend." Zack cheekily teased, pressing a finger against the side of his nose to indicate that he was keeping it all under wraps. “If I told you now, I’ll just be ruining the surprise.”

Cloud shrugged his arms whist his eyes rolled, feeling disappointed by the unnecessary secrecy. Seeing this reaction, Zack showed off a cheesy grin, indicating that it was all fun and games.

Just then, a 'Victory Fanfare' tune began to ring around the kitchen, causing both Cloud and Zack to jump up with fright. Zack hastily grasped his ringing phone and rose up from his seat, answering it immediately.

"Hello, Zack here." Zack responded openly and positively, listening carefully to the other end of the speaker. "Ah! Hey there, Director! … Uh-huh, yep … ok, I'll be right over."

Cloud then heard him hang up the phone and hastily began to collect his work belongings along with his SOLDIER weapon: a simple bladed sword with the Shinra emblem on it.

"Are you heading out already?" Cloud asked in interest, rising up from his own seat as he spoke.

"Yep, duty calls!" Zack cheerfully chanted out, placing his weapon against the metallic magnet on the back of his SOLDIER uniform.

The blade of his weapon instantly locked up against the magnet on his back, showing no loose movement whatsoever. The magnet would only unlock on Zack’s command, a mechanism that allowed him access to his weapon whenever the appropriate situation arises.

"The Director wants me to lead a mission with Angeal to Wutai, asap.” He then added in context, recapping what he was told on the phone. “From what the boss told me, they’re supposedly holding mass anti-Shinra weaponry in their bunkers. The problem is: we have no idea what the weaponry are or how devastating they could be."

Cloud nodded with a raised brow, generally interested in this new mission.

Angeal – another of Shinra’s 1st Class SOLDIERs – was Zack’s highly-respected mentor. Although Cloud had yet to meet this man, he was aware that Zack’s mentor was a man of respect and honour – at least, that was how Zack described him. Although not as popular as Sephiroth in terms of overall notability, Angeal still had a considerable number of followers and fans.

He also was a man who had a unique sense of pride, especially when it came to his unique weapon: The Buster Sword. Supposedly, he had never used the weapon during combat and missions, resorting in only carrying it on his back as a ‘good-luck charm’ whilst wielding other, more disposable blades to do his bidding.

In terms of the Wutai stronghold, Cloud knew from various articles in newspapers and online that they had recently raged war against the Shinra company, citing them as a threat to society due to their practices and ignorance for the environment.

"Be careful." Cloud warned him with a firm expression, aware of Zack’s tendency to grow reckless during missions.

"I always am." Zack stated proudly, heading towards the front door.

_BANG!_

"Ack!?"

As he was about to step through the door, he was oblivious the archway above him. His forehead throbbing immensely after the collision, Zack could not help but awkwardly sooth it in embarrassment.

“ _*Snicker…!*_ ”

Cloud attempted to hold back the laughter, finding the situation ironic.

"L-like I said: I’m always careful!" He reminded hastily, trying his best not to act like a complete fool.

Cloud sarcastically nodded, holding a large – somewhat sympathetic – grin of amusement. Zack opened the front door, feeling the warm autumn breeze brush against him. Letting out a deep, confident breath, he stepped forward. As he did this, he raised his arm up towards the bright-morning sky above.

"Hey Cloud! Maybe if this mission succeeds, I'll finally be promoted to 1st Class!" Zack called out in hope, clenching his raised fist as proof of his determination.

"It wouldn't hurt to be hopeful." Cloud commented back in support, keeping up with Zack's optimistic atmosphere.

With that, Zack charged off into the distance, waving back to his friend just before he disappeared into the blinding light. 

“Give Sephiroth my regards…!”

With a smile strapped across his face, Cloud began to prepare for the Academy, taking a moment to reflect on Zack's dream of becoming a ‘Hero’.

Even though Sephiroth was the ‘hero of the world’ to most, Cloud never truly acknowledged him as an inspiration. He undoubtfully respected the man and his legendary status, yet it was never enough for him to consider the man as inspirational.

To him, Zack Fair was all the inspiration he needed.

 

**DISSIDIA ACADEMY, Class 13A Homeroom, 8:40am…**

"…So, he's finally got himself a date!" Tidus loudly bellowed out in surprise, acting in his usual over-the-top manner.

Class 13A began to gather in the usual Homeroom, waking themselves up from their drowsy states and continuing to chat amongst one another about the usual up-to-date gossip.

Firion, Cecil, and Tidus sat around Cloud's desk, chilling out with Cloud before Professor Shantotto entered to commence morning Homeroom. Although hesitant at first, Cloud eventually gave in and explained to trio about Zack's new 'mystery' girlfriend, knowing all too well that they – mainly Tidus – would kick up a fuss if he kept it a secret.

Reactions were as follows: Firion had a very surprised expression on his face, although he accepted it wholeheartedly; Cecil had nodded to himself with a light glimmer shining in his eyes, anticipating the idea of a 'mystery' romance; and Tidus – as one would expect – had leapt up in abrupt shock, bewildered by the fact that Zack had finally been able to 'bag' himself a girl.

"Do you know the girlfriend’s identity?" Firion curiously pursued, casually leaning against the table in front.

"No. All he told me was that she's 'sweet' and 'cute'." Cloud admitted whilst shaking his head, crossing his arms in frustration. "Aside from that … I’ve got nothing."

"I think it's glorious.” Cecil proudly stated to the group, his eyes burned brightly. “A couple loving each other in secret. Those close to them unravel the mystery. Just the thought of it makes my heart burn with passion."

Firion, Tidus, and Cloud glanced at Cecil with odd smirks. All three knew full well about Cecil’s romanticist tendencies, so this type of comment was to be expected of him.

"Yeah … keep dreaming, love maniac." Tidus commented under his breath, patting him on the back with his usual cheesy grin.

He then swiftly whipped back to face Cloud, his eager eyes brimming with excitement.

"I suggest we jump on him, force him to spill the beans!"

"There's a slight problem with that proposition: we're just Academy students with barely any experience of such physical activity.” Firion interrupted Tidus' idea, stating exactly what Cloud had been thinking – except in more context and with slight exaggeration. “Zack – on the other hand – is a full-blown SOLDIER operative. He would turn the tables on us before we even make the move on him."

"How about we tail him whenever he is caught off-guard?” Cecil then suggested, considering more of a secretive approach. “Learn what we can from the shadows."

"If he were to catch us, it'll be game over." Tidus sighed in denial, not particularly enjoying the idea of being caught in the act. “Think about it this way: neither of us are as ninja-like as Zidane. We would make a mistake before we even reached Zack.”

"Guys, we're talking about my best-friend here.” Cloud then decided to cut in, feeling the whole situation unnecessary. “He’s not the serious 'I'll wipe your memory if you find out' type of guy. There isn't any need to go so far just to find out who this girlfriend is.

“Besides, I'm not going to stalk or force Zack into admitting something he wants to surprise us with. When he finally decides to reveal her identity, I'll be there waiting patiently for who it is."

Ending the conversation then and there, Cloud rose from his own seat and decided to go grab a coffee from the machine. Believing he had time to spare before Professor Shantotto would enter the room, he took this opportunity to reenergize himself.

He passed Onion Knight and Terra on his right, the two discussing away with each other as they usually do. And Warrior of Light on his left, who was patiently sitting at his desk with focus primarily on the book in his hand.

However, before Cloud could exit the classroom, he immediately froze as he caught an ear of Tidus’ next comment

"You're boring as usual, Cloud." Tidus murmured, a scheming yet subtle smirk appearing on his face.

Firion and Cecil followed the pattern with their own comments.

"How disappointing, it would have been quite fun." Firion admitted bluntly, trying to keep a straight face.

"So, the 'mysterious' romance will forever stay a secret." Cecil stated lowly, dipping his head down to hide his face behind his long silver hair.

Cloud’s jaw clenched up, his eyes half-open to emulate his frustrated expression.

"Fine, I'll play your little 'game'!” Cloud stated in a serious tone, showing no amusement in being guilt-tripped. “If we're going to tail him, we'll have to wait till he returns from his mission in Wutai. And, we'll have to be extra vigilant … Zack has the senses of a hawk."

Tidus nodded cheerfully to Firion and Cecil, feeling rather victorious guilt-tripping their friend.

"No need to worry about that, Cloud!" Tidus smiled confidently, ideas forming in his mind. "We'll have a plan set in no time!"

Cloud cautiously glared at him, feeling a rising concern in Tidus’ upbeat declaration.

_…I’m going to regret this._

Noticing the time, he then hastily left the Homeroom to grab his coffee.

 

**Just before Lunch Break, 12:25pm…**

Cloud sat patiently in his seat as his Math lesson began to end. He – along with most of his other classmates – watched the clock with anticipation, feeling their hunger was driving them to the point of insanity.

Their Math Teacher – a very intelligent yet stuck up man who referred to himself as 'The Emperor' – waffled on about how he ruled in the field of ‘Math’. Whilst the actual subject of Math was included in the lesson, it was vastly inferior to the amount of time The Emperor had spent gloating about his superiority.

Just before the lesson began, Firion murmured underneath his breath to Cloud that The Emperor was a man who bathed in his own ego. It was only now that Cloud had realised that his words were a direct warning to how the lesson was going to play out.

Throughout the lesson, individual students gradually began to slip into a trance of boredom. Some fell into daydreams, their imaginations taking them away to their fantasy-lands as a means of temporary escape. Others … fell asleep completely, their minds unable to resist the temptation as boredom forced them to the edge of insanity.

Would the torment ever end?

Much to the surprise of both he and the rest of the Class, Cloud was able to keep himself awake throughout the lesson. With only his eyes drooping during certain instances, he was only one of the few to survive the lesson so far.

Only three others survived: Warrior of Light, Onion Knight, and Terra.

Warrior of Light and Onion Knight were mainly focused with their own rivalry, attempting to one-up and belittle each other with their wits at every opportunity. Terra, on the other hand, was struggling to hold her consciousness, her eyes gradually drifting and refocusing as she reminded herself what would occur if she were to fall into slumber.

With only two minutes left before they were free, Cloud could feel the anticipation rising in his soul … and yet, also the sense of anxiety breaking through.

There were two reasons for this sudden dilemma: the ‘encounter’ that he may potentially face during the Lunch Break, and the lesson that followed. The ‘encounter’ was rather self-explanatory at this point; the hoard of female students would be out on the hunt once again, and Cloud was expected to be on the very top of their list of targets.

The ‘lesson’ that followed was less simple, for it wasn’t the usual case of spending an hour listening to introductory lectures and brief activities. For it seems that once Lunch Break ends, he would be sitting in a Geography lesson with Sephiroth as his teacher.

The thought of this impending occurrence had yet to settle in Cloud’s mind, still somewhat wondering if this was just a ruse made by Zack. This did not help by the fact that Sephiroth was yet to be seen of heard by hi or the others in his Class.

Cloud's mind rattled as thoughts and questions continued to form in his mind throughout the day:

_Why was he teaching Geography?_

_What was so special about that subject?_

It was all so confusing.

_Drrring-Drrring…!_

Just then, the bell finally rang out throughout the corridors of Dissidia Academy, announcing that the day’s Lunch Break had officially commenced – much to the relief of Class 13A.

During that very moment, The Emperor finished up on his dismal lecture, allowing the students to leave the classroom. Without a second thought, Cloud swiftly packed up his belongings and slung his backpack over his shoulders, refusing to spend a moment longer in the hellhole of a Math classroom.

However, before he was about to leave, he met up with Firion. With his eyes red and drowsy expression, Firion was the most relieved of the students to finally escape he torment they had to endure. Cecil soon joined them, lazily shaking his head as an attempt to stay conscious.

With two out of his three companions by his side, Cloud switched to the direction of Tidus' desk. At first he wondered why Tidus – the most lively and energetic member of the group – was taking so long to join them.

And then he realised … the answer was obvious.

Tidus was caught drifting away in a deep slumber, sluggishly leaning back against his chair as he snoozed away.

A sudden and idea immediately crossed Cloud's mind, letting out a cheeky grin as the opportunity for payback finally arose. As Firion and Cecil watched in intrigue, he hastily stepped over and knelt down to the legs of Tidus' chair. Hoping not to have his plan foiled, he carefully pushed the legs upwards, tipping the oblivious Tidus off-balance.

_WHAM!_

The moment Tidus collided against the classroom floor, he abruptly leapt back up to his feet in a confused startle.

"Who-!? Wha-!? I-I wasn't asleep, I swear!" Tidus bellowed out in panic, his loud voice echoing through the classroom.

The whole of Class 13A stared at him in silence, eyes peering upon him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Tidus blushed with embarrassment, glancing away to hide the bright red flush in his cheeks.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA…!!!”

Tidus then switched to hear an uncontrollable laughter coming from non-other than Cloud, who was clutching his stomach in pain as he tried and failed to calm himself down. He was crying – eyes streaming with tears – as his idea became a momentous success.

After a moment of processing the situation, Tidus decided to brush the embarrassment aside and laugh alongside his friend.

 

**Academy Grounds, 12:35pm…**

Cloud cautiously peeked around the corner of Dissidia Academy's building, observing for any signs of the dreaded horde of female students. Word had spread across the Academy that they were on the hunt, preying on any of the innocent and unsuspecting victims that happened to be in their line of sight.

Much to his despair, Cloud was left to fend of himself, for his usual backup had gone their separate ways due to mandatory obligations.

Tidus was preoccupied with his scheduled Blitzball practice, where he was ‘begrudgingly’ being coached by his own Father – the Academy’s P.E Instructor. Elsewhere, Firion was running errands with the Student Council, focusing his assistance on Warrior of Light and Onion Knight as they were fulfilling various ‘important’ tasks for Headmistress Cosmos. Finally, Cecil was summoned by his Brother – Astronomy teacher: Sir Golbez – for a meeting regarding future events.

Cloud had to be as vigilant as ever, believing his life was truly on the line.

After several moments of examining the area, Cloud released a sigh of relief. There was no sign of the female students, meaning they had already moved on from the front section of the Grounds … or, had yet to commence their search for prey.

Desperately hoping for the latter, Cloud stepped out of the corner, knowingly taking the risk that could likely backfire at any moment.

And then, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind.

“GYAH…!?”

Cloud completely leapt out of his skin in fright, stumbling back as paranoia overcame him. Covering his head with his arms to block out the world, he awaited his inevitable demise.

"I-is … something the matter, Cloud?" A light, pure voice questioned worriedly, drawn back by Cloud's unexpectedly over-exaggerated reaction.

Cloud's eyes suddenly flickered open upon hearing the familiar voice, swiftly realising that the person who had approached him was not involved with the horde. As he gradually dropped his arms, his allowed his heartbeat to relax whilst he faced the person standing before him.

Terra Branford gazed at Cloud in awkward confusion, wondering why he was so jumpy.

Brushing away the paranoia with immediate haste, Cloud forced a smile.

"It's nothing.” Cloud admitted in denial, letting out a light chuckle. “I was just caught off-guard, that's all."

"I … see.” Terra warily responded with a silent giggle, before pursuing to ask a question in her shy tone. “Well, seeing as Onion Knight is away on his Council errands, I was just wondering: Would you like to join me for Lunch?"

"I – err … Y-yeah, sure!” Cloud answered awkwardly, generally surprised that she was asking him for company. “…Why not."

 

Cloud and Terra explored the Academy Grounds for the next few minutes, their eyes peeled in hopes of locating a space to eat their Lunch. Along the way, they were happily making small-talk.

The Academy Grounds were packed with groups of students, all socialising and eating their lunches together as they enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Due to this, irritation began to set in for both Cloud and Terra, wondering if they would ever find a place to sit and chill.

And then, after a while of searching, they finally found a free bench situated on the opposite side of the where they stood. The two acknowledged one another with expressions of determination, knowing they had to act fast before the opportunity disappears entirely.

With a fast pace set in motion, Cloud and Terra began to cross the front entrance of the Academy, their eyes focused solely on the bench in their sights.

However, as they closed in on the vacant bench, a brief glimpse of the Academy Gate caught the corner of Cloud's eye.

He halted his steps instantly, gazing off towards the Gate with widened eyes.

Terra immediately noticed Cloud’s sudden stop, switching back to him with a curious expression. She was about to ask him as to why he stopped so abruptly, but decided to instead follow the line of his sight.

Standing at the Gate were two people, both deep in conversation.

One was a female student, fresh from her morning studies. The other was a slightly older male, seemingly on break from work.

From what Cloud and Terra could see, the man had just passed over a present he had close to his side, giving out a genuine smile in the process. The female student clapped her hands together with excitement, showing her appreciation towards the man as she was handed the present.

Opening the present with glee, it was revealed to be a pink silk hair-ribbon.

The following gestures indicated that the man had offered to tie the ribbon for the female student, suggesting it to be the perfect replacement for the simple hairband she was currently wearing. The female student accepted with a cheerful not, immediately facing away from the man so that he could see what he was doing.

After a moment of trial and error on the man’s part, the ribbon seemed to suite the female student perfectly. The female student swayed as she felt her braided ponytail swish back and forth elegantly, further showing the ribbon holding up her hair in grace.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the female student threw her arms around the man, eagerly expressing her affection for the man.

"Aww … how sweet." Terra cheerfully commented, placing her hands together softly against her chest as she watched the couple lovingly embrace.

"Yeah…" Cloud murmured in response, completely lost for words, "…sweet."

Terra was completely oblivious to notice Cloud’s current expression of shock and disbelief, his widened eyes locked on to the couple as he struggled to grasp what he had just witnessed.

He knew the exact identities of the couple.

The man who stood at the Entrance Gate was relatively tall, his posture strong and proud as he showed off his 2nd Class SOLDIER Uniform.

That man was Zack Fair.

From what Cloud assumed, it seemed that Zack was able to finish off his mission in Wutai earlier than initially expected.

However, whilst it was a shock to see his best friend at the Entrance Gate of the Academy: what caused his heart to leap the most was the female student.

With the hair-ribbon now tied in place: her long, chocolate-brown, braided hair was the definition of perfection. Furthermore, her smooth, natural skin was basked in purity, giving of the aura of an angel. Finally, she wore the same Dissidia Academy uniform as every other female student on site, yet she could easily stand out amongst a crowd.

Her name … Aerith Gainsborough.


	5. Vol.2 - Questioning Perfection

“HYAH!”

_STAB! Splutter…!_

Zack Fair lunged forward as he struck his blade into the chest of Wutai's 'Anti-Shinra’ weapon, focusing all his strength and attention on taking the abomination down. With a clenched jaw and deathly eyes, his dominance overpowered the opponent before him.

The weapon was a towering bulk of immovable mass – in fact, it was twice the size of Zack.

Its name: Vajradhara Tu.

It was Wutai’s ultimate resort to overpowering Shinra and gaining the upper hand in their War. Without this, Wutai would be unable to counter Shinra’s advances, leaving them cornered with no options left in their arsenal.

Zack made sure that this monster perished like its brother: Vajradhara Wu, who was currently lying motionless on the ground with several open wounds and lifeless eyes.

As he purged his blade deeper into the Vajradhara Tu’s chest, he could feel it begin to stagger and moan. The weapon attempted to flail its monstrous boulder-like arms in desperation, hoping to brush away its puny enemy.

However, it was hopeless for the monster. With life draining from its body at a fast rate, it had lost all focus in its eyes.

And then, the weapon’s legs finally gave way from underneath. There was no strength left in its hulking mass of a body, allowing gravity to take control of its weight. As the weapon fell forward, Zack hastily drew his blade out from the beast and leapt out of the way in haste, desperately praying on not getting flattened by the weapon's crushing mass.

_CRASH!!!_

The weapon collided against the floor of the Wutai fort, causing the whole area to shake violently like an erupting earthquake. Zack froze in a knelt down position, bracing himself as the floor continued to shake.

The reacting earthquake eventually died down, allowing Zack to steadily regain his feet. With his blade grasped securely in his palm, he stepped over to the Vajadhara Tu. Keeping a cautious eye on his fallen foe, he warily prodded the mass of muscle with his blade. The last thing he needed was a surprise attack, so the confirmation of its death was necessary for survival.

The Vajadhara Tu showed no signs of movement whatsoever, the pupils of its eyes completely whited out as saliva began to seep from the corner of its gaped mouth.

It then dawned on Zack: he was victorious.

Glancing at his two fallen opponents, Zack couldn’t hold in the overwhelming sensation of joy a moment longer.

"I-I did it…? I did it!?" Zack bellowed out, an explosion of excitement escaping him all at once. "HAH-HAH-HAAA…!!! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!"

With the amount of exhilaration running through his body, Zack proudly swung and spun his sword in a swift, fluid motion – ending with a powerful victory pose. Feeling refreshed, he placed the blade of his sword on his back, locking it against the magnet.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he began to reflect on the mission.

As stated on the mission briefing: Zack had to infiltrate Wutai's Fort without any supervision.

It was in the Shinra Company’s best interests to not to start an all-out conflict, preferring the mission to be carried out with the least amount of SOLDIER units possible. With Sephiroth way from SOLDIER, Zack's mentor – Angeal – was initially assigned to lead the mission. However, through Angeal's personal request, Zack was roped in to take on the mission as a solo operative.

Zack soon found out the reason behind this abrupt change: Angeal and SOLDIER’s Director - Lazard Deusericus – were recently in conversation regarding Zack’s skills and overall potential. In fact, Angeal had proposed the Director to allow Zack to prove his worth as a SOLDIER operative.

Upon initially hearing this, Zack was left speechless. He felt honoured to lead a mission of such importance for the company; although, he could not help but feel the daunting pressure of fulfilling such a momentous request.  

And so, throughout the duration of the mission, Zack was able to infiltrate the Fort without triggering any alarms or alerting any Wutai forces – much to his own surprise and relief. As he entered the 'Anti-Shinra weapons' stronghold, he valiantly fought against the two monstrous weapons.

It was a struggle, yet he was able to withstand their barrage of heavy hits.

He let out another sigh of relief.

_Thank the Goddess its over…_

_Clap-clap-clap…!_

Suddenly, the sound of a pair of hands clapping echoed throughout the building, causing Zack to leap up in fright. He immediately switched and drew his blade out, readying himself for another bout.

However, as he focused his attention towards the source of the echo, he caught sight of Angeal emerging from behind a corner.

Angeal was a tall, powerful man who always carried a large, deadly Buster Sword along with his forever tense expression. As rumours had implied, the Sword had never been used during missions, even though it was his primary weapon of choice as a 1st Class SOLDIER operative.

A reason for this was never truly given to Zack, leaving him only to guess that it was family-related.

Upon noticing Angeal, Zack hastily re-sheathed his weapon, hiding the embarrassment of almost attacking his own mentor by mistake.

"Well, it seems there wasn't any need for me to interfere in the mission after all." Angeal coolly chuckled, thoroughly analysing Zack's overall performance. "I must admit, there were times when I was on the edge of my seat – particularly when you almost let your guard down during the main battle. But you never drew attention to yourself and was able to swiftly complete the mission, so I think I'll be able to let the little nit-picks slide.”

Zack’s expression lit up with an ecstatic grin.

“I must hand it to you, Zack … you've certainly impressed me."

Zack knew that Angeal was inspecting his performance from a hidden distance, watching his every movement like a hawk. It left him increasingly anxious, showing awareness that one major slipup would cost him dearly.

Ans yet, the moment he began infiltrating the Fort, the thought of Angeal assessing him had completely disappeared from his mind. He focused himself solely on the mission at hand, allowing him to proceed without much hesitation and doubt

“Thanks Angeal,” Zack responded in tremendous gratitude, truly feeling proud to be a member of SOLDIER.

"Now, concerning your status within SOLDIER…" Angeal then began to mutter, stepping closer towards Zack with a serious expression.

Zack's heart jumped the moment Angeal spoke out; this was the moment of truth.

Will his recent success and progression in missions allow him to be finally promoted to 1st Class?

Or, will he be stuck to serve Shinra as a measly 2nd Class operative forever more?

"…I’ll have to address at a later time." Angeal concluded.

Zack's mind suddenly felt as though it had blown a fuse.

"HUH!?!?” Zack roared out in exaggerated frustration, firmly grasping the collar of Angeal's uniform as let loose everything that erupted in his mind. “YOU CAN'T JUST BUILD UP MY HOPES LIKE THAT AND THEN JUST LEAVE ME HANGING!"

Angeal gazed in bewilderment as the man before him continued to release his fury.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO SLEEP SOUNDLY TONIGHT NOW!?"

Once Zack finally finished his rant, Angeal coolly brushed him off, showing no expression whatsoever.

"If you gave at least a moment of thought about your own surroundings before freaking out, you would have realised that we're still in the Wutai Fort.” Angeal explained to him in his calm tone. “I’m sure the Wutai Forces know of our location by now.”

Within that moment, Zack began to hear sirens outside the Fort, along with rising commotions surrounding the Fort. Not long after, a stampede of footsteps swiftly emerged from the distance, incoming from a variety of directions.

Zack's expression dropped, realising he had just screwed up.

“Right on cue…” Angeal murmured with a low sigh.

"Err … Oops." Zack whimpered in a squeaky tone, sweat breaking through his skin.

"What are you going to do now, ‘Zack the Puppy’?" Angeal questioned in a serious manner – although a hint of hidden amusement almost broke through.

"Wha-!? Angeal, you know how much I hate you calling me that!" Zack blurted out irritably, feeling as though the world was beginning to spin.

He then hastily turned and began to scout for a viable escape route, purposely ignoring his mentor’s cold glare.

"A-anyway, the sooner we get out of here, the better."

Zack hastily scanned the area around him, showing minor signs of panic and distress as he attempted to find a way out. He hastily treaded over towards the back door of the room, only to hear Angeal let out a small murmur.

"I would guess that the Wutai troops have the whole building surrounded by now.” Angeal lightly hinted with a small smirk, acting as though he was finding this situation amusing to watch. “I wouldn’t be surprised if all the plausible escape routes were blocked off.”

Zack pulled himself back from the door and gulped, his body covered in sweat and shaking with anxiety.

He couldn’t believe this was happening to him; after everything he put himself through in order to succeed in the most important mission of his career, he decides to go and screw himself over during the home run!

The thought of failing to reach 1st Class and losing the one opportunity to fulfil his dream had sent him into an inner meltdown. Throwing both arms over his head, Zack began to pace around, eyes wild as he struggled to rationalise his thoughts.

he then heard the footsteps closing in on them, commotions and shouting echoing from the other side of the doors.

It was only a matter of time before he and Angeal would be caught by Wutai forces.

He was drawing a complete blank.

_Snap! Snap!_

Zack snapped round to face Angeal, showing a mixed expression of confusion and panic. He immediately noticed his mentor casually pointing skywards. Zack, curious to know what Angeal was implying, took the hint and followed the direction of his mentor’s finger.

It was a Ventilation System.

Although it was the most clichéd way of escape, Zack knew that it was either this or facing an entire Wutai Army.

With that said, a couple of questions appeared in his mind: Where would the vents lead to?

…And, with either of them fit through the shaft without any issues – especially with the Buster Sword in Angeal’s possession?

"It’s just a hunch, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this led to the roof of the Fort." Angeal calmly deducted, acting as though he was able to read Zack's mind. “What do you think?”

Zack stepped back hesitantly, uncertain about what he should do. He then noticed his mentor leap into the ventilation system with ease, not even a second thought passed through his mind as he disappeared.

Zack hastily took one last look of the doors in front of him.

"Well, I guess there’s no time like the present!" Zack encouraged himself, keeping up his regulated, positive tone.

_Woosh…!_

_BANG!_

He swiftly leapt up towards the opening of the vent, completely out of sight just as the Wutai army broke through the door.

 

**The Wutai Rooftops…**

After some time passed crawling within the never-ending maze of the vent, both Angeal and Zack finally reached an exit.

Angeal was – as usual – correct: the system did in fact reach the roof of the Fort.

Speaking of whom, Angeal was the first to appear out of the Ventilation system, inhaling the open air in desperate relief. He was able to spot the morning sun still beat down around the Wutai area, glaring proudly over the land. It was a beautiful sight, as though purposely masking the current dilemma.

Angeal stepped out of the system without making a noise, praying not to alert the Wutai troops of their current whereabouts.

Unfortunately, this idea had not crossed Zack's mind.

"PHWAH…! Man! Talk about cramped with a capital C!" Zack exclaimed loudly, obliviously bursting out of the vent. “Woo…! At least we’re out of there!”

Angeal scowled towards him, attempting to hold back the rising anger that almost took over his calm demeanour. And yet, Zack continued his loud speech, acting as though he had completely forgotten the mission.

"I mean, seriously! Drag a claustrophobic sufferer in there and in a matter of seconds he'll go absolutely Ape-shi – Mmph!?!?"

Zack mouth was forcefully covered by Angeal's hand, refusing him to speak another word.

Zack glanced up towards his mentor's face, only to gasp in abrupt horror upon noticing Angeal's current expression. Angeal's eyes were raging like a rabid bull, his temper completely passed the breaking point whilst his lips were sealed tight in desperation of holding back the roar of a lion.

"If you say another word in that loud, obnoxious tone of yours … your blood will be the first to stain the Buster Sword.” He murmured grittily, eyes locked like daggers on Zack's terrified face. “Do I MAKE myself clear?"

Zack instinctively nodded, hands slightly rose upwards in prove of his innocence whilst giving out a slight whimper.

"…Good." Angeal firmly nodded, removing his hand from Zack's mouth before commencing to scout the area.

Zack drew in a few deep – yet quick – breaths, calming himself down after such a terrifying encounter.

He stepped out of the vent and resealed its gate carefully without causing any disruptive sounds. He then turned and treaded over to his mentor's position – who was preoccupied observing the outskirts of the Fort. He decided to follow Angeal's eyes, peering down towards the depths of the fort below as curiosity took over him.

In that instant, Zack felt his heart sink in despair, noticing the sheer mass of the Wutai Army surrounding the building.

"Oh man, those are a lot of troops.” Zack commented gloomily, keeping a constant low voice. "How in the world are we going to get out of this mess?"

"Hm-hmm…!" Angeal chuckled proudly, acting as though he was one step ahead of the game.

“…What’s so funny?” Zack questioned in a low tone, caution entering his mind. “Why is it that I get the chills whenever I hear you laugh?”

“You don’t need to worry your simple mind over our small mishap, that’s all.” He then shrugged, a dark smirk sealed as he shook his head. “I have this covered.”

Zack curiously watched as his mentor swivel round, making his way towards a large mound of leaves situated on the other side of the Fort's roof. Angeal reached into the pile and pulled out two large backpacks. As he returned, Zack immediately knew the purpose of the bags.

However, it wasn't to his liking.

"And … why do you have parachutes?" Zack asked as he nervously stiffened, his breath stuttering.

"Simple. This is the key to our escape." Angeal answered as he noticed Zack’s cautious stance. "What's the matter, wasn't parachuting one of the activities they offered back in Dissidia Academy?"

"Yeah, we had the option … but I didn't find any interest at the time." Zack quietly admitted, glancing away to hide his embarrassment. “…I’m kinda regretting it right now.”

Angeal teasingly shook his head, showing off some disappointment in his protégé.

"And here you are hoping to be a 1st Class operative after this mission … how shameful." He spoke out, exaggerating his dissatisfaction in hope of triggering Zack.

Fortunately, this didn't take long whatsoever.

Zack's head instantly whipped round to face Angeal, showing off a scornful, bitter expression in the process. Zack's mind had snapped, he refused to allow this statement to pass off so easily.

"Give me that parachute." Zack ordered in a low, menacing tone, sounding completely off from his usual personality.

Angeal passed over one of the parachute packs, smirking by how typical Zack was with his behaviour.

The expression said it all: This was payback after Zack’s earlier vocal explosion.

Zack hastily strapped the pack onto back, making sure no straps were loose and that the fabric wasn’t twisted or worn. It was initially a difficult procedure, attempting to avoid slicing the bag with his attached weapon by accident.

Thankfully, this was not the case.

With everything in check, Zack faced his mentor with determination, ensuring that no more screw ups would occur during their escape.

However, this tense and looming atmosphere did not last very long. The moment Zack dipped his head, the tension he once had was replaced with a combination of awkwardness and uncertainty.

"Err… what do I do now?" Zack clumsily wondered, knowing that he had failed to keep up the tense tone of the situation.

“…”

After a silent groan, Angeal swiftly explained the instructions of the parachute. He was adamant to leave the facility as soon as possible, fully aware that the Wutai had already realised that the two SOLDIER Operatives had escaped to the roof of the complex.

“So … count to 5 and pull the cord.” Zack echoed curiously, reiterating his mentor’s explanation. “That’s all?”

“Yeah, that’s all there is to it.” Angeal nodded firmly, relieved to finally escape this place. “…Just don’t forget to jump.” 

Upon grasping the concept, Zack swiftly leapt into position. Angeal indicated the escape point, pointing towards the small forest in the distance west of the complex. Zack instantly tensed his muscles and locked eyes directly towards the bulk of the forest, building up his confidence yet again.

At that moment, the two began to hear crowds of Wutai troops forming far below, discussing their next options to capture the intruders.

It was now or never.

"No time like the present, Zack!" Angeal called out to him, swiftly observing the area below.

"I'm way ahead of you!" Zack nodded back in confidence, already running towards the edge of the roof.

_I can do this … I can do this…_

Zack repeated the thought to himself as he charged towards the edge, keeping a positive outlook.

Angeal watched him pass at ferocious speed, switching attention between him and the crowds below.

"I can do this … I CAN DO THIS!" Zack then bellowed out with pride, closing in to the edge with eyes locked towards his escape.

However, as he was seconds from the edge of the building, his words changed.

"…I can't do this."

In that instant, he began to fall to the crowd of Wutai forces at the bottom of the fort, unable to control his descent.

Angeal rapidly ran towards the edge where Zack leapt off from and swiftly called out to him, "ZACK! PULL THE CORD!"

As Angeal roared, gunshots began to fire.

The Wutai had spotted them.

Angeal stumbled back, evading the incoming bullets.

_WOOSH!!!_

He then heard an object inflate … and a sudden roar of excitement.

"YEEEAAHHH!!!" Zack roared at the top of his voice, his body lifting sky high as the parachute drifted towards their escape zone. "This is AWESOME!"

Unable to hide his relief, Angeal let out a light chuckle, finding Zack’s reaction somewhat typical.

He then took a step back to prepare himself, bag secured on his back behind the Buster Sword. Without a moment’s thought, he leapt off the edge of the complex, pulling the cord just as his feet left the edge. He began to feel the jolt of his body being carried away, the wind brushing passed at a refreshing pace.

Both Zack and Angeal swerved their bodies gracefully evading the bullets that were shot at them. To their luck, none of the shots hit their targets, not even damaging the parachutes.

"Hah-hah-haa! I forgot Wutai were terrible shots!" Zack called out in laughter, fully engulfed in the moment.

Finally, Zack and Angeal soared into the forest, successfully escaping the Wutai facility and completing the mission unscathed … mostly.

 

**Shinra HQ, later that day…**

The Director's office was always very organised and spacious, plenty of room for people to move around freely. The logo of the company hung down on large plaques against the walls around the office, displaying its pride to the world. In the middle of the office was a large arched desk with a small number of computer screens, detailing various attributes and current affairs surround SOLDIER and Shinra itself.

The director of SOLDIER himself sat behind the desk, filing papers and checking up on the system mainframe.

He had slick-back, blond hair and wore formal-looking blue glasses. His attire consisted of a striped blue blazer with white shirt, trousers, and gloves. He also wore a purple and blue tie to match the rest of his attire with elegance. All of this was proof of his dedication to his work.

With all of this and a strong, healthy posture; Director Lazard Deusericus was perfectly man for his role.

_Knock-knock!_

A small, polite knock from the office doors echoed, indicating the presence of visitors. Rising from his seat, Director Lazard was anticipating a visit around this time.

"Come in, gentlemen." The Director called out in a formal manner, assuming it was the two he expected to see.

The doors opened as two SOLDIER operatives entered the room in high spirits. SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair and SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley stepped up to the arching desk, both bowing gracefully towards their boss. The Director nodded back in response, greeting both Zack and Angeal as he exited his desk.

Angeal stepped forward, believing the time was right to do so. He positioned himself beside the Director, facing Zack. Zack straightened up his posture, his arms joint behind his back in an organised fashion.

Upon returning to Shinra, all Zack could even think about was how he completely screwed up his mission during the escape. Without Angeal's assistance, he would have failed the mission altogether. Dread overcame him, only wishing for the mission debriefing to be over.

In his mind, he knew he wasn't going to be promoted to 1st Class anytime soon.

"After observing the video footage containing your actions during the mission, there were certainly times I was struck by surprise." The Director began in a truthful tone, his face expressionless.

Whilst the Director recapped various scenes that stood out in the footage, Zack gave out a sharp and annoyed look towards Angeal.

 _You were recording me!?_ His mind yelled out.

His teeth grounded together, keeping his irritations in check.

He then caught sight of Angeal nodding back towards him, indicating to pay attention to the Director. Zack switched back towards the Director, his breath stuttering.

Upon finishing his recollection of the mission, the Director was ready to give his verdict.

"…Overall, I must say that this was a very interesting experience for you, Angeal, myself and even the whole of SOLDIER." The Director honestly admitted, pressing his finger against the centre of his glasses to realign them. "All in all, with a 'few' unfortunate slip ups to be considered…"

_This is it … the moment of truth._

Zack struggled to hide away his emotions, dreading the inevitable.

"…The mission was a complete success.” The Director proudly began to conclude, coolly smiling towards Zack. “The War against Wutai is now currently halted for the foreseeable future."

The corners of Angeal’s mouth curled.

"And so, it is an honour for me…” The Director announced highly, “…to promote Zack Fair to SOLDIER 1st Class."

Upon hearing those last key words, Zack froze in complete shock.

“…Huh?”

His mouth fell open, eyes wide with disbelief as his mind struggled to process this unexpected outcome. He didn't know what to say or think at all; it just felt as though all thoughts and doubts rummaging through him disappeared in an instant.

He began to chuckle lightly, tears of pure happiness welling up in his eyes. The thoughts of achievement finally rushing through his mind like a speeding train.

"This … this is insane!” Zack let out his roar of triumph, causing his voice to echo throughout the office for what seemed like forever. “I finally became FIRST CLASS!"

He switched towards Angeal, who was smirking upon seeing Zack's reaction with gaining this achievement.

In that instant, Zack leapt over towards Angeal, throwing his arms open, "I can't hold it back anymore, man! I gotta-!"

"If you hug me, your blood will be the first to stain my Buster Sword." Angeal coldly interrupted him, dropping his grin in an instant as though it wasn't even there in the first place.

Zack abruptly halted his lunge, skidding across the floor slightly as he took Angeal's words into consideration.

Whenever Angeal included his Buster Sword in statements, he wasn’t joking around.

"Eh-heh-heh … sorry Angeal." Zack apologised lightly, raising both hands innocently.

Zack then heard the Director chuckle lightly beside him, causing him to shift his gaze with wonder and curiosity. He noticed Lazard examining his watch with a cool, formal smile appearing across his face.

"Well now, it seems that not only did you succeed this mission with flying colours, but you also seemed to have completed it in record time.” The Director acknowledged, indicating the time on his watch. "Seeing as it is now only Lunch Break, one must wonder what you would do for the rest of the day."

Zack didn't take long to realise what the Director had meant, examining his own watch to confirm the time:

12:15pm.

Zack began to wonder about what he would do, his thoughts drawing a complete blank.

"Well, for now you can go for an extended break whilst we set up for your promotion." Lazard then suggested, showing that he was ahead of Zack in terms of plans and preparations. "When you arrive back, your new uniform will be ready and waiting for you and we'll brief you on future assignments."

Zack gave a firm nod in response, excitement engulfing him as he relished the fact that he had finally accomplished 1st Class Status.

That was when it hit him: what was he to do for such a long Lunch Break?

Whilst he gave it some thought, Director Lazard dismissed them from the mission debriefing. Zack and Angeal left the office, bowing to their boss just before they passed through the doors.

Finally, an idea clicked into Zack's mind, something that felt so obvious to him. However, before he began to follow through with his newly-formed idea, there was still a question looming around in his mind that needed answering.

As the two began stepping down the long hallway, Zack decided to speak his mind.

"How much footage did you record of me during the mission?" Zack quietly queried Angeal, knowing something wasn't completely right when the Director spoke about the details of the mission footage.

"Only what mattered for the Director." Angeal answered back in an instant, his eyes keeping to the path ahead. "I stopped recording the moment you killed the 'weapon'."

Zack's expression brightened, showing absolute relief that there wasn’t any footage of where he had completely screwed up the missions escape. However, as he continued to walk on through the passageways of Shinra HQ, Angeal placed a hand firmly on his shoulder and halted him in his tracks.

"There are two things that I want you to keep in mind when pursuing future assignments, Zack." Angeal indicated in a serious tone, eyes now locked on Zack as they both stood firm. "First of all: I want you to work on controlling your emotions during missions. If it wasn't for your over-the-top outburst, our escape would have played out a lot more smoothly."

"Well, you could have held off on ‘shooting down my hopes’ like you did back then." Zack countered, refusing to forget the reason behind the initial outburst.

"That's not the point." Angeal shook his head sternly, knowing Zack would bring that up, "As a newly promoted 1st Class operative, it is vital that your emotions are restrained, especially in the heat of the moment.”

Zack fell silent, taking in his mentor’s advice.

“Now, secondly, I want you to keep in mind that ‘no mission goes according to plan’." Angeal continued severely.

"What do you mean by that?" Zack questioned in wonder, finding the idea rather odd.

"What I mean is that there is no such thing as a 'perfect' mission."Angeal responded in a clear tone, keeping to his serious stnce. "No matter how smoothly a mission is executed, there will always be something that could potentially disrupt the flow of the mission. Once this occurs, it is your duty to improvise and dynamically plan how to regain the mission flow. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think I got the idea." Zack answered confidently, nodding to show that he thoroughly understood. “I’ll be sure to keep it in mind.”

"If that is the case, then I’ll leave you to your errands." Angeal concluded with a subtle smile, aware that Zack was in a rush. "When you’re done, come back and I’ll debrief you further."

With that, Zack gave a small nod and began to make his way towards the end of the corridor, waving back just as he disappeared around the corner.

As he left the building of Shinra HQ, he immediately took out his cell-phone and began to type out an email, hoping to promptly meet with someone at Dissidia Academy’s Entrance Gates.

 

**Dissidia Academy, 12:35pm…**

Aerith Gainsborough emerged from Dissidia Academy’s building, fresh-faced after hours of lessons and working in the Medical Room.

She took in the fresh surrounding air and the strong rays of the Sun as she treaded across the Academy Grounds, her empty stomach indicating that it was time for a bite to eat. However, before she was able to do so, she needed to meet someone in front of the Academy Entrance Gates.

In her hand was her phone, its screen lit up to display an email she had received not long before hearing the Lunch Break bell.

She began to head her way over towards the requested meeting place, slipping passed the large groups of gathering students. Whilst a hassle to break through, it didn’t take too long to finally reach the Entrance Gates. Once there, she took the opportunity to regain her energy, taking in a few deep breaths like it was nutritious water.

Aerith waited by the gates patiently, feeling the pleasant atmosphere cooling her down in the meantime. She watched the crowds of students pass her gaze, humming peacefully to herself as time continued to pass.

It wasn’t long after that she noticed the person step up towards the Gates from outside the Academy Grounds. A kind and pleasant smile appeared across her face as she spotted the man, straightening up as he drew closer.

As the person closed in towards her, his details gradually began to show within the light of the Sun's rays. He stood at a fairly tall yet proud height, dressed in a 2nd Class SOLDIER Uniform covering the majority of his body. He had jet-black spikey hair and a constant positive expression on his face.

He was none other than Zack Fair.

Zack jogged over towards Aerith, coolly waving to her whilst seemingly hiding something behind his back in the other hand. Aerith politely waved back, although wondering curiously as to what he was hiding from her.

"Phew…! Sorry for making you wait." Zack cheerfully apologised, stretching out as he finally reached her. "I bet you're craving for some food right about now."

"Oh, there’s no need to worry; I didn't have to wait long." Aerith responded cheerfully with a light giggle, expressing her appreciation for the fact that he wished to meet her in the middle of his work. "So, what did you want to see me about?"

"Well, if you must know…" Zack began hesitantly, taking in a deep breath to show how important this was to him.

With a proud stance, he began to announce with a powerful, accomplished grin.

"I have finally been promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class!"

"Wha-!? Really!? " Aerith gasped with surprise, feeling astonished by Zack's achievement. "That's amazing! Congrats, Zack!"

"Heh-heh-hee…! Thanks." Zack happily responded, feeling proud to be one step closer towards his lifelong dream. "It won't be long now till society recognises me as a ‘hero’."

Although saying this to her, Zack was very aware Aerith’s lack of fondness for the Shinra Company, particularly their questionable practices and neglect of environmental awareness. Normally he would keep details of his work separate during their time together, only adding it into conversation if required.

However, he believed that today was an exception.

"To commemorate this achievement, I decided for us to start celebrating with this small present I wanted to give you." Zack announced excitedly, finally revealing what he was hiding behind his back.

Upon reveal, he was holding out a small, simple bag. Inside of this bag was a light object, carefully wrapped in styled packaging. Aerith took the object out from the bag appreciatively, yet seemed to be showing a confused expression upon holding it.

"For me…? But surely it would be the other way around?" Aerith wondered uncertainly, unable to figure out his reasoning behind this. "I mean, you were the one who received the promotion in the first place."

"Yeah, that is how it's meant to go … but I felt like breaking those rules for this one occasion." Zack cheekily answered, showing off a cheesy grin. “Come on, open it up!”

Aerith giggled, always enjoying Zack's optimistic attitude.

She began to unwrap the present with as much care and attention, just as how it was wrapped initially. Upon noticing what it was, Aerith suddenly gasped with delight, unable to get rid of the permanent beaming smile that struck across her face.

The present was a pink hair-bow; delicately woven with the absolute care.

"Nice, isn't it? The moment I saw this in the shop on the way here, I thought it would be the perfect upgrade to your hairband." Zack admitted sweetly, his eyes locked on her. "Here, let me put it on for you."

He offered to tie up the bow for her, feeling rather generous. As she turned, he carefully took out the simple hairband that had tied up her ponytail throughout the time she was a student of the Academy.

Once off, her hair dropped down slightly and swayed with the slight breeze, giving off a fresh, sweet scent in the process. Zack then attempted to tie the bow, his tongue sticking out as he concentrated on the task at hand.

Upon completion – along with a few ‘trial-and-error’ moments, Aerith gracefully switched back to him, showing off her look with the new bow.

"Well, how do I look?" Aerith wondered curiously, swaying her ponytail innocently.

"Just like an angel." Zack stated meaningfully, giving of a serious tone as he continued to grin.

Aerith cheerfully giggled and swiftly embraced him, showing her overwhelming gratitude towards him. In return, Zack wrapped his arms around her, feeling appreciative to have her by his side.

The two were so focused on each other’s company … that they were completely oblivious to the figure watching them in the distance.

 

**Meanwhile…**

Cloud Strife watched the couple as they continued to embrace in the distance, unable to break away.

Even though various students passed his gaze, the image of the two embracing was clear as day. Cloud was undeniably glad to see Zack finally showing affection for someone, believing that it was a long time coming.

Additionally, he had only known Aerith for a few days, so it was nice to see her returning Zack’s affection with her own.

And yet, he could not shake of this odd feeling brewing from deep inside.

His throat felt dry, his heart began to race, and his body felt frozen in place.

He just couldn’t understand it.

Part of him had the desire to go over and meet with them, but the rest refused. It was like a series of mental chains restricting him from moving, holding him back with absolute force.

A voice then broke his inner tension, almost causing him to leap out of his skin.

"Are you ok, Cloud?" Terra Branford peered at him curiously, wondering why he continued to gaze out in the distance. “Is something bothering you?”

"Ah, sorry … I must have dazed out for a moment there." Cloud answered back, breaking out of his locked gaze.

He switched his sights over towards the bench that they were both initially heading for, noticing it was still free.

"Should we sit?"

Terra nodded cheerfully, "Yeah, before it gets taken."

They hastily rushed over towards the bench, both feeling the emptiness of their insides as they craved for the food. Cloud still had Zack and Aerith in the corner of his eye, yet decided it was best to leave them be for the time being.

Cloud and Terra perched down on the bench in instant relief, feeling appreciative that they could rest themselves in the warm, pleasant environment. They both hastily took out their lunches from their bags and began to chow down on their lunch without hesitation.

As they ate, Cloud continued to reflect on what he just witnessed, attempted to understand this odd feeling growing inside of him. The image of the two embracing was forged in the depths of his mind, refusing to leave no matter how hard he tried to forget.

Cloud abruptly shook his head, trying his best to push that thought aside and think about something else.

This only led to it becoming more prevalent.

“So, do you know that couple?" Terra politely asked, hoping to start a conversation with him.

"Y-yeah…" Cloud nodded in response, although hesitant to answer her, "In fact, the guy with the black, spikey hair is … a close friend of mine."

"Oh, really!? Wow, that's convenient." Terra blurted out in surprise, giggling away quietly.

She then lowered her eyes slightly.

"…He certainly seemed happy with her."

"That’s Zack in a nutshell: he's always happy." Cloud chuckled as he pointed out to her, taking a sip of his drink. "Always having a positive demeanour when leaving for missions at SOLDIER and constantly headstrong about his goals … I've never seen him as anything different."

"It must be nice for him…" Terra began to silently murmur under her breath, closing her eyes in the process, "…to love and to feel."

"Huh?" Cloud glanced towards her oddly, feeling the atmosphere around them shift slightly.

"Ah … sorry. Don't mind me." Terra apologised in haste, returning back to her normal expressions. "Why not tell me more about him and the girl he was with."

"…Right." Cloud nodded with a shrug, continuing to speak as they ate their lunch.

As time passed, they finished with their meal and began to pack their empty boxes away, still chatting away cheerfully. It was pleasant for the two students, ignorant to the world around them as they enjoyed each other’s company. Even if the topics of the conversation was mundane, the atmosphere alone was just enough for them to relax.

And then, as Cloud leant down to grasp his bag from the floor … he began to hear a high pitch squeal in the far-off distance.

His whole body froze in an instant.

His eyes widened and muscles tensed, fear struck him without warning.

Terra noticed his sudden jump in reaction, and yet was oblivious to the situation. She watched him curiously, wondering what was troubling him this time. It was then that she noticed the ground beneath her feet begin to vibrate.

It was like a quake, strengthening with each passing second.

Soon after, Cloud rose up with his bag slung over his shoulder and eyes hidden from view.

"W-what going on, Cloud?" Terra worriedly asked as she stood up, struggling to understand the sudden change of events. "Why is the ground suddenly shaking!?"

"Sorry, Terra..." Cloud spoke lowly, a vacant grin appearing yet eyes completely devoid of expression. "But it looks like we'll have to part ways for the time being."

"Huh…? Why? Lunch break hasn't even ended yet." Terra responded in shock, feeling the vibrations below grow more ferocious. "We've got 10 minutes left before our next lesson."

"You'll see soon enough…" Cloud murmured, his fists tensing up.

There was a moment of odd silence between the two … until Cloud yelled his farewell.

"…See you in Geography!"

With that, he bolted off into the distance, dust emerging beneath his feet as he sped away in desperation. Terra watched him in bewilderment, her mind completely drawing a blank as to what was occurring.

However, it seemed she didn't need to spend another thought on the reason, as her answer appeared in front of her without a second delay.

A colossal stampede of female students flew passed Terra at gargantuan speeds, causing her to stumble back in horror. Students leapt out of the way in safety, noticing the group barging through.

They swiftly followed Cloud’s direction, sniffing him out like rabid dogs.

What followed was his terrified voice, his bellowing pleas echoing throughout the entire Academy Grounds.

"WILL YOU PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE!?"

Terra was frozen in place, wide-eyed with disbelief.

 

**Dissidia Academy’s 3 rd Floor, 1:00pm…**

Lunch Break ended with the sound of the Academy’s bell ringing, much to the disapproval of many. Students began to make their way for their next lessons, dispersing from the Grounds and back into the halls of the building.

Cloud made his way towards his destination: the 2nd Geography Room.

As he reached the 3rd Floor corridor, he noticed there was fair lack of students – a sign that he was slightly early.

Admittedly, he was completely worn out, feeling as though he could fall unconscious at any given moment. He was able to successfully outrun the mass of pursuing female students, refusing to repeat the horrors of his previous encounter.

During the chase, he had desperately hidden himself amongst a group of taller 3rd year students, purposely pretending to listen in to their discussions on the dreads of their next lesson. Just as the horde passed his position, he ducked as low as he could without acting out of place.

He had escaped his demise for another day.

With that out of his hair, he began to wonder about the upcoming lesson. He remembered Zack suggesting that Sephiroth would be taking on the lessons for Geography starting from today onward.

Ever since the day began, Cloud became rather conflicted regarding Sephiroth as a potential tutor for the subject. He was unable to grasp whether he was excited about the lesson … or dreaded the idea entirely.

The only way he could find out now was to sit through the lesson itself and ‘experience’ the Hero of SOLDIER informing him about the geography of the world.

Finally, Cloud reached the door to Geography Room 2.

He took a small moment to gather his thoughts, temporarily erasing any doubts in his mind.

After a moment of clarity, he took in a deep breath and pushed the door forward.

It was then when he heard the voice: powerful, smooth, and somewhat intimidating.

There, rising from his seat, was the man himself...

"Ah! Master Strife.” Sephiroth's smooth yet dark voice greeted him. “Come in and take a seat … the lesson will soon begin."

 


	6. Vol.2 - The Great Globe

Cloud Strife entered the Geography Room with a somewhat cautious pace, his eyes were locked thoroughly on Sephiroth as he felt rather conflicted on meeting the 'Hero' in person.

He – like anyone else – was immediately able to determine that this man was the one of legend: the iconic long, silver hair flowing down to the back of his legs; his sharp, green-iris gaze that drove his opponents into fear; and the tall, powerful stance that many looked up to with inspiration.

As with most of the staff in Dissidia Academy, Sephiroth currently wore a formal dark suit that generally seemed to fit with the intense aura that surrounded him. It was as though the staff uniform was designed with his appearance as a base model.

Sephiroth … he was truly as sight to behold.

It was then that Cloud switched focus … and finally noticed the classroom’s unique design.

The whole classroom was completely redesigned from the floor up, to the point where Cloud was completely caught off-guard.

The first aspect to the room that caught his eye was the object situated at the very centre of the room: an enormous, towering Golden Globe. Calmly turned on its axis, the globe watched over the surrounding desks that were positioned specifically to fully observe its magnificence.

Its appearance was otherworldly.

Shifting his attention towards the walls and ceiling of the classroom, Cloud immediately noticed the several boards that showcased various holograms, all of which were highlighting specific areas around the globe. These holograms were beyond sharp and clear as they were displayed the boards, so much so that it could be considered on a level above 4K visuals. In addition, the holograms included detailed information on the locations shown, giving facts and figures on any events that had consisted around the world.

Cloud was completely in awe; he couldn't think of any classroom he had entered in the past that showed off such imagination or creativity – not even an Art Room. He was unable to take his eyes off from the Globe, finding it an unbelievable sight to behold. It continued to gradually turn on what seemed to be a small spindle-like mechanism underneath, revealing the variety of countries that formed the world.

Sephiroth then stepped up to Cloud’s side, even though the boy’s eyes were still locked onto the Globe.

"Impressive. Is it not?” Sephiroth coolly chucked with a triumphant stance, showing off his pride in a formal manner. “This was something I've been working on for a while now … in fact, I was able to finally finish it all yesterday."

"I-it's unbelievable…" Cloud stuttered breathlessly, struggling to grasp reality as he watched the giant Globe continue its rotation. "How were you even able to get this into the room!?"

"You think I was able to move this into the room all in one go? How amusing." Sephiroth coolly chuckled, shaking his head as he corrected the student. "No. I had built the Globe from scratch with parts delivered externally. I had also programmed all the holograms and data to the Globe whilst the parts were being shipped over."

"I-I see…"Cloud breathlessly muttered, finding this all impossible to grasp.

There was a moment of silence as Cloud continued to observe the Globe and the various boards surrounding the room, his mouth still agape and eyes wide with shock. Sephiroth watched in amusement, crossing his arms and smirking at the sight of the boy taken aback by such a magnificent entity. He then switched to his desk, perching himself on the chair and typing up a document on his laptop.

"I suggest you take a seat, Master Strife. The Lesson will be commencing soon." Sephiroth informed Cloud, reminding him that they were in a classroom and not a museum.

Cloud hastily snapped out of his vacant trance, nodding back in acknowledgment as he only just remembered about the Geography lesson. He stepped over and took a seat behind one of the desks that surrounded the towering golden Globe.

Just as he sat down, a question popped into his mind.

He was hesitant at first; uncertain whether it was the right time to ask the man. Yet, with a push of confidence, he spoke his mind.

"Sir, why did you take a break from SOLDIER?" He asked curiously, hoping to get an answer or two out of the 'hero of SOLDIER' before the rest of Class 13A arrives from their Lunch Break. "And why take up teaching Geography at the Academy?"

Sephiroth glanced back at him in silence, taking a moment to consider the questions set before him.

A dark smirk broke through Sephiroth’s expression as he answered, "Well, I believe it was necessary move because-"

_Crash!_

Abruptly, the classroom's door flew open, colliding against the wall at full force. Cloud leapt out of his skin in a fright, bewildered by the sudden interruption. Sephiroth, on the other hand, halted his words as he turned towards the sudden noise.

"CLOOOUUUUD!" A roaring, echoing voice bellowed out as the figure sped through the door.

It was in that instant that Cloud knew who had entered the room … and yet, he was too late to act.

The only thing Cloud could murmur out at this point was a dreading "Oh no…"

_Woosh…!_

Within that moment, an arm caught Cloud by his waist, throwing him completely off his chair and to the floor.

_BANG!_

“ACK!!!”

Due to the abrupt impact, Cloud felt the air of his lungs escape in single blow. At the same time, his head collided against the floor. He felt his eyes blur and head grow numb, completely disorientating him.

To make matters worse, the culprit of the tackle began to shake his body uncontrollably, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him back-and-forth.

“YOU TRAITOR!” The figure's voice roared out in exaggerated fury, his hands tightening on Cloud's shoulders as he continued to shake. "What were you doing with Terra during Lunch Break!?"

Gradually, the air returned to Cloud’s lungs, relieving him from the pained gasps and allowing him to answer back.

However, this was easier said than done…

"I was. Only. Hanging. Out. With. Her!" Cloud answered back as best as he possibly could, beginning to feel nauseous due to the nonstop shaking. "Please. Stop. Shaking me. Tidus!"

As though reacting on command, Tidus halted the relentless shaking. Cloud slumped his head back, the world around him continuing to spin as he lost all bearing of where he was situated.

"‘Only hanging out’, huh!?" Tidus echoed back in dissatisfaction, his voice growling at such an answer, "So, you were trying to snag the cutest girl in our class the moment we were looking away!?"

Woozily, Cloud hastily checked around the room, praying that none of the other students in his class were in the room. Thankfully, much to his relief, the only ones in the room were him, Tidus, and a very bewilderedly confused Sephiroth.

"I wasn't trying to 'snag' her." He then assured his eccentric friend, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible before it got any worse. "You, Firion, and Cecil were all busy during Lunch Break and it just so happened that Terra was free at the time."

 _And besides, her being the ‘only’ girl in Class 13A has nothing to do with it..._ Cloud added in his mind, yet decided it wasn't necessary to add into his excuse in fear of being hypocritical.

Tidus shook his head in blind denial, believing none of it, "Yeah … likely story."

Cloud rolled his eyes in frustration, finding this whole situation to be a complete nuisance.

"Look, can we sort this out another time? We're not exactly the only ones in the room right now." He snapped underneath his breath, his eyes veering over to the front of the classroom in an attempt of indication.

Tidus gazed back in a blank stare, “Hm?”

He then gradually turned his head, having only just realised that they were being watched the entire time. Noticing Sephiroth glaring towards them with his baffled expression, he shot up to his feet in surprise.

Feeling the strength return to his body as Tidus released the grip from his shoulders, Cloud gradually recovered to his feet.

"Ah … I-I so sorry, Sir!" Tidus awkwardly apologized, embarrassed by his usual melodramatic behaviour. “I didn’t realise you were there!”

Sephiroth silently nodded in acknowledgement, deciding not to say a word about the whole ordeal.

"You do realize that he's THE Sephiroth, don't you?" Cloud whispered close to Tidus' ear, struggling to hide his smirk as he added to Tidus' embarrassment. “Heh … Way to make a first impression.”

Tidus' body shivered the moment Cloud whispered ‘Sephiroth's’ name, switching to Cloud with waterfalls flowing from his eyes and mouth drooping in sadness.

"Please don't make this worse for me." Tidus whimpered with a soft plea, unable to bear any more of this torment.

Letting out a tired sigh, Cloud began to rub the back of his head, still feeling sore from being knocked against the floor. He then decided to change the subject out of pity and pointed out towards the large Golden Globe, telling Tidus to gaze upon it. The moment the Globe caught his eye, Tidus' mouth dropped agape as complete shock and awe overwhelmed him.

Struggling to comprehend such overwhelming magnitude, Tidus became speechless for the first time in his life.

As Tidus continued to gaze wondrously towards the Globe, Cloud swiftly peaked towards Sephiroth's direction. He noticed that their geography teacher had returned to filing away the forms that were previously scattered across his desk.

Due to this, a slight surge of frustration sparked in the depths of his mind. Cloud was so close to having his questions answered before Tidus' bombastic entrance, leaving him with a sense of indefinite limbo.

He considered bringing it up again, only to be stopped once more.

_Drrring-Drrring…!_

The bell’s loud ringing echoed across the whole of the Academy, indicating that Lunch Break had officially ended.

As this occurred, the remaining students of Class 13A entered the room; fresh from their much-needed break and prepared for the upcoming lesson. However, as the class stepped into the Geography Room, almost every one of them halted and gasped at the sight of the enormous Globe towering before them.

“Whoa…!”

“What the…”

They all began to comment amongst one another, breathless and at awe with the sight before them

"It's magnificent…!" Cecil Harvey gasped in amazement within the group, most likely during conversation with Firion.

"It's unbelievable." Warrior of Light spoke out formally, standing at the head of the pack as per norm. “I wonder how much time was dedicated in creating it.”

"I'm intrigued by the software used for the holograms.” Onion Knight admitted as he continued to analyse, sparks of enthusiasm in his eyes. “I don't think I've ever seen anything so advanced."

And finally…

"I wonder how they were able to get this big Globe into the room in the first place…" Terra Branford pondered, unconsciously wondering the exact same question Cloud had asked mere moments ago.

Seeing the reactions, Sephiroth stepped forward an appeared before them.

"Well, once you’ve all sat down, I'll answer any questions plaguing your mind." Sephiroth informed them, expressing a small amount of pride in his creation.

Without hesitation, they all decided to take their seats around the globe, whispering and gawking to each other on the fact that the 'Hero of SOLDIER' was about to teach them Geography.

As Cloud witnessed the rest of Class 13A as they sat before their allocated desks that surrounding the Globe, he noticed Squall Leonhart still standing idly and glaring up at the Globe.

His usual non-existent expression was a clear as day; he could not care any less about the Globe’s existence.

"Hmph…! What's so special about it?" Squall muttered coldly, letting out a careless shrug. "…It's only a big, flashy ball."

With that, he stepped over to his designated desk beside two empty seats and purposely separate himself from the rest of the class, deciding there was no point in showing interest.

Leaning back on his seat, Squall glanced out towards the far-off window as he blanked the world around him.

At first, Cloud silently shook his head, finding Squall's attitude towards the Globe rather typical of his character. However, upon noticing the two empty seats either side of Squall, it was to his realisation that the class was short of two students: Bartz Klauser and Zidane Tribal.

A growing feeling of caution began to loom in Cloud’s subconscious, a sense of dread and discomfort rising. Based upon previous experiences, Cloud was able to swiftly determine that the duo was up to no good whenever they appeared late for lessons.

Thinking back, Cloud always found that between the two troublemakers, Bartz was rather misunderstood. From what he gathered, Bartz did not usually get fully involved with the mischief, preferring to assist Zidane in his antics and watch the mischievous events unfold from afar.

Even so, he always seems to get into the most trouble, playing as scapegoat whenever a prank goes awry.

Cloud eventually shrugged, brushing away his recent thoughts as though deciding there was no point in worrying about the matter for the time being. Shifting focus, he noticed Sephiroth step over to the Globe with a calm expression, all eyes now fixed on him.

As he drew closer, Cloud was able to notice that Sephiroth was holding his distinctive katana sword, appearing as if ready to strike down any enemy that would dare to oppose him.

In an instant of noticing the katana, students of the class froze in horror, their eyes wide and the red in their cheeks falling pale. There were even some who diverted glances towards the door of the room or even the window as they considered to options of escape.

However, they ultimately found it unnecessary.

"What’s with all the nervous stares?" Sephiroth wondered curiously at the class, noticing the students fidgeting restlessly in their seats. "I'm only using this as a pointer for the Globe and the holograms."

On that exact moment, every student in the classroom gave out a loud, relieving sigh. Heartbeats were continuing to race uncontrollably, taking a moment to relax as they realised it was a false alarm.

Cloud joined in with the collection of relieving sighs, some of his worries disappearing from his mind.

He then switched focus as he noticed both Warrior of Light and Squall face-palming in frustration, finding everyone's reaction rather unbearable to witness. After giving off a silent chuckle; Cloud shifted back to Sephiroth, who finally began teaching his lesson.

"So, to begin with, I’m certain many of you are aware of my previous employment as SOLDIER 1st Class – or in other words: the 'Hero of SOLDIER'." Sephiroth expressed as he began his introduction, guessing that they had heard of him in some form or another. "Recently I had decided to take a break from the Line of Duty to 'pursue other Projects' for the time being, or so the reports suggest. So, for now, I'll say that working as a teacher in this Academy is part of my so called 'project'."

Cloud hastily listened in, quickly realising that Sephiroth was answering the questions he asked a moment ago.

And yet, to his disappointment, the information Sephiroth had revealed was only what was already known to a certain degree.

"From today onwards, I shall be your Geography Tutor." Sephiroth continued on, his eyes shifting from one student to another.

Using his sheathed katana, he then pointed to the Globe before him.

"This Globe will be the main asset for our lectures. It is a physical, technologically advance system that I had manufactured to convey useful facts and information during the studies.”

A hand was raised.

“Sir, if I may, why go through such lengths in building the Globe?” Cecil Harvey wondered, finding it odd that such effort would be used for simple academic studies.

“A fine question, Master Harvey.” Sephiroth acknowledged, answering the student in honesty. “I felt the Academy deserved the extra 'flare' in their lessons. I believe one of the most important aspects to learning is attention to detail, so why read from the book … when you can see the world in its full glory.

The students all watched on, feeling somewhat hyped up by the motivational speech.

Sephiroth then added, “I’m certain you all will use this Globe effectively and securely during your time at the Academy."

 _Securely…?_ Cloud thoughts echoed out, finding the use of the word odd to him. _Why do we need to use it … securely?_

After he concluded his introductory speech, Sephiroth took no time in progressing to the topic of today’s lecture: Environments and Landscape.

Using his Katana as a pointer; Sephiroth swivelled the Globe and landed on specific points of its axis, discussing about the environment varieties and how they had evolved and morphed over time. The students listened in closely with fixed attention, taking in his facts and information with careful consideration.

The lesson continued … and Sephiroth had the entire class under his control.

**20 Minutes Later…**

Sephiroth was close to ending his lecture and shift focus onto the lesson's main activity. Before making the transition, he stepped round to the opposite side of the Globe – to the point that Cloud would need to use one of the holograms to watch Sephiroth continue his speech.

_Stepstepstepstep…!!!_

During that very moment, Cloud began to hear rushing footsteps from outside the classroom’s door. The sound gradually drew closer at a frantic rate, becoming ever more rushed and desperate as it approached. He began to focus his attention more on the door in order, wondering what the noise was coming from.

Not long after, he began to hear faint panting and wheezing sounds amongst the rushing footsteps.

All of a sudden, the classroom door abruptly burst open.

_BANG!_

Many members of the class leapt in fright, spinning their heads round in order to find out what had just occurred. Sephiroth, on the other hand, continued to lecture on, completely oblivious to the sudden event.

“WE FINALLY MADE IT, BARTZ!”

As the door had flown open, Zidane hastily entered the room in a dash, calling out in triumph as he raced onto the scene.

Upon noticing the Globe directly in front of him, he swiftly skidded to a halt. Sliding a considerable distance, he had almost collided into the Globe itself – only stopping at the point where his face was almost touching the metal before him.

After a moment to process his inner thoughts, Zidane took a small, cautious step back to distance himself from the object before him. Sweat breaking from his temple, he felt as though one wrong move would send everything into chaos.

After finally at a safe distance, he gazed upon the enormous Globe that towered over him, crossing his arms as he curiously examined its beauty.

Cloud and the rest of the class – especially Squall – glared towards Zidane with a mixture of expressions, ranging from surprise to utter bewilderment. However, Sephiroth didn't even notice Zidane’s unexpected arrival whatsoever, seemingly concentrating on the current lecture with his eyes locked upon the Globe.

Cloud then noticed the frustrated Squall quickly gesturing to the oblivious Zidane hastily, attempting to catch the oblivious classmate’s attention before the situation gets out-of-hand.

It was a useless attempt.

Zidane seemed far too fixated at the Globe that he grew completely oblivious to the world around him, almost as though he was entranced by such magnificence.

"Whoa … that's a thing of beauty." Zidane stated in a soft tone, amazed by its size and overall design. "Man, I'm glad I didn't run into that."

However, as he finally noticed Squall’s desperate attempt to gain his attention, Zidane felt his body abruptly shift forward with considerable, unexpected force.

_WHAM!_

Before he knew it, his body had collided face first into the Globe, placing a large imprint of his mug into the gleaming metal.

He then dropped to the floor in a daze, groaning in pain as his face continued to generate a numbing throb.

“Ow … that hurt … a lot.”

As he regained his stance, Zidane switched to the one person who he knew had collided into him in the first place.

"Bartz, you idiot!" Zidane whispered with an agitated sneer, "You nearly made me break the ball-thing!"

Bartz, lying against the floor in a woozy daze, gazed upon his partner-in-crime with an innocent smirk.

“Sorry, Zidane, I didn’t mean to…”

However, his words trailed off as his expression immediately turned from the face of innocence to a horrified gasp. The colour in his skin fell pale, his entire body frozen in place as he watched the situation unfold before his very eyes.

"Err… Zidane!" Bartz answered back in hesitance, his terrified gaze frozen upon the Globe behind his best friend. "I think we just broke it…"

Zidane hastily switched back to the globe, dread and regret swiftly emerging from him.

Cloud and the rest of Class 13A were already reacting to the situation at hand, gasping in fear as they watched the towering Globe snap from the pedestal below and begin to lose balance. It slowly yet surely began to fall off from its axis, heading directly towards the floor below at an unstoppable force.

_Creak…! Snap! Crack! Screeeeeech…!!!_

Numerous sounds of cracking and screeching echoed as it continued its descent, showing no signs of stopping.

Students who were unfortunate enough to be sitting at the desks directly underneath the the falling Globe – Warrior of Light, Onion Knight, Terra, and Squall – hastily launched themselves out of their seats towards a safe area from the impact zone.

And yet, this did not stop Class 13A from panicking … for the Globe was heading directly towards an oblivious Sephiroth.

Whilst the other students were unable to utter a word from their position, Cloud abruptly leapt to his feet in alarm.

"SIR! GET OUT OF THE WAY!” He roared out to the man in desperation. “SEPHIROTH!”

Sephiroth, having heard Cloud’s sudden yell, turned towards him with an unaware gaze.

"What's with all the shouting?" Sephiroth questioned ignorantly.

It was too late for him.

“Hm?”

It was then when he noticed the Globe closing in on him from above.

"Oh … that's why."

_CRASH!!!_

The Globe collided right on top of Sephiroth, shattering on impact. Pieces of the crumbling Globe – varying from the small and sharp to the large and bulky – flew haphazardly in numerous directions. The students all shielded themselves from the incoming shards, using their blazers or books to block the sharp pieces as swiftly as possible.

As everything eventually calmed, the whole class gazed wide-eyed at the pile of shards that were piled in front of them.

Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen.

He had taken the full impact of the Globe's fall.

Warrior of Light was the first to respond, leaping into action by attempting to remove the pile of metal shards. The rest of the students hastily follow suite, assisting in the mass removal of the shattered Globe.

This left only Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and Bartz to observe the crisis that befell them.

Bartz and Zidane were still processing the incident in their minds, frozenin place with the expressions of unfathomable horror strapped across their faces. Squall – as one would expect – refused to watch the aftermath, rubbing his temple as he wondered why he was associated with the two nitwits.

And finally, Cloud frantically stood with both hands on his head, his mind going into complete meltdown.

_This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!_

"Err … I think we just killed the teacher." Zidane murmured in a stutter, streams of sweat sliding down his face as anxiety took over his consciousness.

"Yeah … and he just so happened to be Sephiroth." Cloud revealed to the two in a low mutter, feeling the need to add to their looming conscience.

Both Zidane and Bartz switched to Cloud in unison, their eyes widened to a new level.

"Wait … so we just killed a HERO!?" Zidane yelled back, unable to hide the terror in his eyes as he realised the hell that was about to descend upon him.

"So … does this mean we have the rest of the lesson off?" Bartz then wondered with a curious glance, evidently unable to grasp the situation whatsoever.

Cloud, Squall, and Zidane all stared at him with bewildered eyes, unable to confirm whether Bartz was joking or serious. Either way, this certainly wasn't the time for Bartz to have such an oblivious attitude.

_Rumble…!_

Just as Cloud decided to assist in moving the various shards, he was met with a loud, abrupt noise echoing throughout the entire room. The rest of the class leapt out of their skins in fright, being thrown completely off-guard by the sound.

_CRACK!_

To everyone's complete shock, a hand had shot out of from the pile of shards, twitching and raised towards the ceiling.

As the students watched in amazement, the hand tensely pressed down against the pile and began to push out the body underneath. Gradually, the head and torso appeared from the pile as an increasingly fearful dark aura engulfed the body. The being eventually stood up from the pile of shards, muscles tensed up and covered in the dark aura.

Much to his relief, Cloud was able to tell that Sephiroth was fine and well. Yet, what now began to worry him – and the rest of the students, for that matter – was that he could tell that Sephiroth was now in a foul mood. The atmosphere surrounding him was entirely filled with dread, draining the souls of any victim trapped in its shadow.

Cloud hastily whipped his head back towards Zidane and Bartz, noticing their sudden horrified yelps as they watched Sephiroth rise from the pile of shards.

"Well now … I was wondering when you two were going to show up." Sephiroth chuckled as his sudden sinister voice echoed through the classroom, spooking the students completely even though he was facing completely away from them.

With that, Sephiroth gradually began to turn his head around, his eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty glare. Whist turning, his Katana-wielding arm rose up towards the ceiling of the classroom, grasping tightly onto his sheathed weapon with malice intent. His stance now set, he placed his free palm against the sheath itself as he locked his grip in place.

Zidane and Bartz were frozen in terror, unable to escape the hellish glare of their Geography Tutor.

"Unfortunately, it seems that the Globe is currently out of order…" Sephiroth murmured on in his dark, sinister tone, his eyes locked entirely on Zidane and Bartz as though he was ready to strike them down from where they stood. "So, I suggest we postpone the rest of the lesson until it is … restored."

_Shiiiiing…!_

He progressively unsheathed the katana, a flash of light reflecting from the blade the moment it revealed itself. The room was filled with the sound of the blade scraping against its sheath, echoing throughout the room with magnificence.

The students of Class 13A felt shivers crawl up their spines as they watched with awe at the graceful sight of the world-renowned SOLDIER weapon being unsheathed in front of his very eyes.

"Class 13A…” Sephiroth announced clearly to the students around the room. “I would like you all to stand outside the classroom whilst I have a 'word' with Master Klauser and Master Tribal."

Without any need of question, Class 13A nodded to one another and began to leave the room without saying a word in response. Cloud hesitated for a moment as he glanced towards the two soon-to-be victims, feeling rather apologetic for their predicament.

Both Zidane and Bartz were still completely frozen in place, looking as though they were cast under a spell of some kind.

Regretfully, Cloud decided it was best to walk away, feeling unable to prevent their demise. As he stepped out of the door, he could just see through the corner of his eye that Sephiroth was making his way towards the two with slow, deadly steps. The dark aura continued to engulf his body and the Katana blade held in the air, ready to strike down its prey.

The door then closed…

_Click!_

For the next few seconds, all the students on the corridor could hear was silence.

Not even a mutter.

Not a single student of the class dared speak a word, carefully listening in to what was occurring on the other side of the door. Squall, on the other hand, decided to lean up against a far-off wall and kept his distance from the others. His eyes closed as his mind escaping from reality, preferring not to involve oneself in the matter.

Cloud glanced towards him curiously, finding his attitude as typical as ever.

In normal circumstances, others would assume that Squall felt some sort of inner sympathy for his two troublemaking friends. And yet, everyone in his class knew he was unable to care even if he tried.

It was at that moment, Class 13A heard Sephiroth mutter the two words that every person imaginable feared.

"Heartless … Angel."

What followed was the sound of a sharpened blade, echoing throughout the distant corridors.

_Slash!_

This was then followed immediately with two loud, terrorized screams.

“EEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…..!!!!!”

The students of Class 13A gave a moment of silence in respect of their fallen comrades, peacefully praying for their health as they transcended to the afterlife. Cloud suddenly showed off a confused expression, feeling as though this whole situation had become very over-exaggerated.

"Err … Guys, I don't think they're actually dead." Cloud hesitantly reassured to the group. “Guys…? Guys?”

He was conveniently ignored.

 

**In the end…**

Zidane and Bartz miraculously survived Sephiroth's infamous attack, much to everyone’s surprise. However, they had emerged from the classroom with soulless expressions, devoid entirely of the personalities they once thrived on.

The rest of the lesson consisted of the class working on the activity Sephiroth had set for them, relocating the lesson to one of the spare rooms in the Academy whilst the Geography room was closed off from use. Acting as though the unexpected ‘event’ hadn’t happened in the first place, the students of Class 13A were fully immersed in their activity, working in pairs as they fulfilled their set tasks.

However, during this time Sephiroth was nowhere in sight, most likely preoccupied with cleaning up the smashed Globe.

As the lesson eventually concluded, Cloud was unable to locate Sephiroth whatsoever, finding it frustrating that he could not get any more answers from the legendary SOLDIER operative.

Brushing the inconvenience aside, he decided to follow the rest of his class towards their homeroom, setting the looming questions towards the back of his mind for the time being.

Once the group entered the Homeroom, Cloud dropped down to his seat in a slump, a relieving sigh escaping him as he was finally able to settle down from the day’s constant chaos.

…Unfortunately, this didn't last long.

"Duuuuuuuuuuude! Geography was freakin’ awesome!" Tidus hysterically shouted out, leaping onto his seat having appeared out of nowhere.

_SLAM!_

Cloud instantly slammed his head on the surface of his desk the moment Tidus spoke out, unable to bear any more of the insanity.

"What's the matter, Cloud?” Firion questioned curiously as he sat down in the seat in front of the poor soul. “You seem mentally exhausted."

"Urgh … I’m fine." Cloud sighed out in a groan, rubbing his eyes in desperation to stay awake. "It's just … been a busy day."

"Well, at least you made out alive this time around." Cecil lightly chuckled as he sat next to Firion. "The ‘Class Clowns’, on the other hand … may need some intense therapy after their predicament."

As he was reminded of the situation that had occurred not too long ago, Cloud's eyes diverted towards Bartz and Zidane desks on the other side of the room. The two were still struggling to grasp reality after their 'near-death experience', their expressions lifeless and lacking the vibrant emotions that once filled out their everyday lives.

During this time, Cloud also caught an eye of Squall, who was sitting behind them sporting an unusually dark grin. It was as though he enjoyed watching the two in their current state of mind, finding long-awaited relief in their torment.

Sighing away, Cloud returned his gaze to his group of friends, casually leaning back on his seat.

"Well, at least there’s only one more lesson to go.” Cloud lightly suggested, his mind wandering free as he assumed there was nothing else left to do for the day. “After that’s over with, I’m heading home to bed.”

However, the other three had all raised an eyebrow towards Cloud upon hearing his statement.

Cloud noticed the sudden shift in tone, cautiously worrying about what they had in mind. This ‘gut feeling’ was made worse with Tidus' growing darkened smirk, meaning there was some devious plan rattling around in his mind that Cloud was unaware of.

"Now hold up there, Cloud.” Tidus expressed with a low chuckle, showing off his cheeky grin. “You seemed to have forgotten our little 'heist' we’ve long planned for."

"W-what do you mean by a 'heist'?" Cloud questioned cautiously, afraid of what Tidus had in mind.

"Wait, you ‘really’ forgot!?" Tidus then yelled out at full volume, the rest of Class 13A glancing over to his direction with curious stares.

Cloud, suddenly feeling exposed, hastily gestured Tidus to shut his mouth before he drew too much attention to himself. Tidus, however, waved off the rest of the class with the use of a light apology for his outburst.

As the attention died out, Cloud drew in closer towards Tidus as the four quietly continued with their conversation.

"What are you on about, Tidus?" Cloud questioned him in a low murmur, a groan escaping his voice as he spoke.

"You should know!” Tidus answered in a frustrated manner, struggling to keep his voice at a normal level. “We were going to track down Zack and his 'cute' new girlfriend, remember!"

At that moment, Cloud's expression instantly dropped as he realised what Tidus was referring to. The memories of their discussion from the beginning of the day – along with the clear image of Zack with Aerith during Lunch Break – were all flooding back to him at once.

As it dawned upon him, Cloud sat up from his seat, feeling the sudden sense of dread rising within him.

"Cloud? What’s wrong?" Cecil then asked him, a hint of concern in his voice.

Tidus watched Cloud with a confused gaze, wondering why he was acting odd so suddenly. Firion, on the other hand, showed off a curious expression, wondering whether something had happened since the morning homeroom registration.

Cloud began to consider his options carefully, wondering whether it was worth admitting to his friends of the revelation he had stumbled upon.

Or to follow through with the plan, keeping the secret to himself for a moment longer.

A part of his mind was desperate to reveal the identity of Zack's date, wanting nothing more than to end this nuisance once and for all. However, the other side of him wished to keep the secret hidden and allow Zack to reveal her identity in his own time.

With the nuisance frustrating him immensely, Cloud finally gave into temptation … to an extent.

"Well, I can certainly say that she’s … 'cute'." Cloud awkwardly murmured underneath his breath, diverting his gaze from the group.

"Hold up…! YOU KNOW HER!?" Tidus abruptly bellowed out, leaping up to his feet as his voice reverted to its usual loud, boisterous tone.

Cloud hastily leapt up and blocked Tidus' mouth with his hands, physically forcing him back down to his seat.

"Will you stop that!?" Cloud spat out in his aggressive whisper; his teeth anxiously grounded as he refused to release Tidus until he complied.

Tidus nodded back to him in response, his eyes wide with innocence and his hands held out to show his innocence.

"I was only able to catch a glimpse of her during Lunch Break." Cloud then admitted, gradually releasing his hands from Tidus in the process. “She was at the Entrance Gate with Zack … talking.”

"But … didn't you say this morning that Zack was on a mission in Wutai?" Firion interrogated, crossing his arms as he glanced at his friend with uncertain eyes.

"I don't know how he was able to finish so early, but I can guarantee you he was there with her at the time." Cloud confidently assured, turning to face Firion with an honest gaze.

Noticing Cloud’s firm expression, Firion decided not to pursue further questions out of satisfaction.

Perching himself back on his seat, Cloud continued to convince them, "Anyway, I suggest we wait until he’s officially introduced her. Snooping on them behind their backs would be outright wrong ... let alone cause far too many issues in the long run."

"Dammit Cloud … you're such a killjoy." Tidus pouted as he turned away in disappointment, expressing his dissatisfaction without any subtlety. "We were so close to executing the perfect heist, as well."

"For the last time, will you stop calling it a ‘heist’!” Cloud bared his teeth irritably, holding himself back from yelling at his obnoxious friend. "Listen, we don't know where they’ll be going or if they're even going out together after Academy hours. We just cannot take that risk!"

However, it was then when Cloud began to hear Tidus chuckling away, causing him to feel even more on the edge.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll track them down somehow." Tidus whimsically assured, showing off his upbeat smirk as he returned a glance.

"How are you so confident?" Cloud murmured in annoyance, losing hope of control for the situation.

"We already know that Zack isn't on his mission right now, so he shouldn't be too hard to track down." Tidus continued to suggest in confidence, his cheesy grin gleaming at his friends. “Also, the date is more than likely set already. I mean, think about it, he took time out of work to go and visit her! Surely the two lovebirds will wish to see one another before the day is over.”

"Yeah … I'd love to see you try." Cloud smirked back competitively, feeling amused by Tidus' declaration.

"So, does that mean you’re going to get involved with this, Cloud?" Cecil smoothly diverted the conversation, slyly returning to the original topic.

Cloud's eyes instantly shifted towards Cecil, becoming further agitated after almost escaping the subject entirely.

Unable to escape the anticipation of his friends, Cloud decided to answer.

"I'm-"

_SLAM!_

The door to the Homeroom had abruptly burst open … followed by the sounds small footsteps.

Class 13A hastily turned to face the front of the classroom, knowing that their Homeroom Tutor had made her entrance in the most ‘vocal’ way possible.

"Sorry I am late." Professor Shantotto announced to the class, giving off an unamused tone mixed in within her usual rhymes. "This bumbling fool got herself stuck at the Gate."

Class 13A glanced at one another with confused expressions, wondering what in the world she was talking about.

However, this was immediately resolved…

"Argh, hell!" A suddenly loud, boisterous voice yelled out in a sulk, "Why do you always make me feel like the idiot in front of everyone!?"

A being of normal height then stepped into the room, carrying with her a stack of large, hefty boxes.

Although she was mostly hidden behind the stack of boxes, the students were able to catch a glimpse of some aspects to her appearance: Her long, smooth, lavender hair flowing down to her lower back; along with her darkened skin seemingly pure and soothing.

However, the class then noticed of the girl’s pointed ears, breaking through the strands of her hair in clear, open view.

Class 13A commenced to gossip with low whispers amongst one another as they had laid eyes upon the girl, wondering as to ‘who’ and ‘what’ she was.

"Could that girl be an Elvaan?" Terra whispered in wonder to Onion Knight.

"What could someone of her species be doing so far across from the East?" Firion wondered as he commented to the group.

Admittedly, Cloud was also taken aback by the sudden appearance of the Elvaan girl, yet what caused him to become more curious was Warrior of Light's unexpected reaction.

Although it was difficult to see from where he sat, Cloud was able to catch Warrior of Light’s already upright posture suddenly lurch at the sight of the ‘Elvaan’ girl.

_Clump!_

Just then, the girl dropped the boxes amongst a nearby free corner of the room, stretching out as she felt the freedom from the sheer weight flow through her arms once again. She swiftly swivelled round and faced Professor Shantotto, giving off a light, hearty smile.

The class was finally able to see the Elvaan girl in full view, struck with awe at her unique beauty: She had navy blue eyes, the bangs of her hair reaching down towards the crux of her nose; she sported a large, ecstatic grin that would be able to compete with Tidus; and wore what seemed to be a lab coat similar to Professor Shantotto's own.

Underneath the lab coat, she was wearing fabric that originated to her culture, consisting of a black and purple top with frilly sleeves along with black shorts that covered the top half of her legs. She also wore what seemed to be durable, tanned boots, giving off the impression that they would be able to withstand any level of environment throw at her.

"Phew…! All the boxes are now in the room, Doc!" The Elvaan girl called over to the Professor with a care-free expression, "What do you want me to do now?"

"First of all, stop calling me by such a name." Professor Shantotto moaned back, hopping up to her desk chair, "You know all too well that it is a complete bane."

"Ah! S-sorry, Professor Shantotto!" The girl apologised back clumsily, scratching the back of her head with an awkward chuckle.

"Secondly, I request for you to introduce yourself to the class." The Professor then demanded, indicating to the students that sat before them in the room.

Without further ado, the Elvaan girl immediately switched towards the class with a curious grin, acting as though she found the students a rather interesting group. She then abruptly threw out a peace sign towards the class as she gave off an immense cheesy smile.

"Hey there! The name's Prishe!" The Elvaan girl began to introduce herself, giving off a tomboyish, rowdy tone. "I'm the Doc's – Err … I mean Professor Shantotto's – Assistant in errands and experiments. I hope you all treat me well!"

 

**As Homeroom concluded…**

The students gradually began to pack up their bags and scanned over the information for their next lesson.

During this time, the Elvaan girl – Prishe – was pre-occupied with Professor Shantotto's continuous errands, preventing her from enjoying any free time to mingle with the group of students.

Warrior of Light, unexpectedly, seemed to look rather ill and oddly out-of-place, unable to keep his concentration after witnessing Prishe enter the room. He was watching Prishe darting in and out of the room in a daze, as though struggling to comprehend her existence.

Shifting focus, Cloud was examining his timetable in assurance of the last lesson for the day, mentally preparing himself.

"Oh Man! What a drag!” Tidus groaned out in frustration, abruptly catching the others off-guard with the complete switch in emotion. “We've got P.E. with my Old Man!"

“Is that so…?” Firion lightly murmured, wondering why he was making such a big deal on the matter.

"He's going to be non-stop nagging me and pushing me around!" Tidus continued to complain, ignoring Firion’s curious tone.

"The way you say it, he sounds a bit like a bully." Cecil suggested to him nonchalantly, wondering what the relationship was between him and his Father.

"I wouldn’t say that … he just tries to act all cool in front of everybody because he thinks he’s the essence of ‘manliness’." Tidus grumbled as he turned his head away, hiding his pout. "He goes out of his way to embarrass me! Seriously, he's a total nightmare!"

"Sounds … rough." Cloud commented with a small shrug, lacking any care in the world. "I bet he's completely strict as well."

"Hmm … if Blitzball is on the agenda, then maybe I can tolerate it." Tidus then admitted, flexing the muscles in his body as if to prove he was just about ready for the challenge.

Cloud’s glared at him with bored-like, half-open eyes.

“Why am I not surprised…?”

The group rose from their seats and pack up their equipment, preparing to make a move to the changing rooms located on the Ground Floor of the Academy.

However, the moment Cloud stood up, Tidus decided to speak his mind.

"Well then, Cloud. We'll be meeting up after the lesson at the Entrance Gate of the Academy Grounds." Tidus informed him oddly formally, giving off his usual mischievous grin. "Once we've all grouped up, we'll be tracking down Zack and his ‘date’. Our mission will be to acquire details on his ‘girl’ and the purity of their relationship."

Cloud gave out a loud, irritated sigh, finding it impossible to sway Tidus no matter what he did.

"What's your answer, Cloud? Will you join the ‘Dissidia’ Heist Team?" Tidus queried in his upbeat tone, giving a sudden name to the group. "It's your choice in the end, Dude!"

Cloud continued to glare at his friend with his agitated gaze, taking his time to answer.

The two parts of his mind were still fighting against one another with no sign of stopping: One part was refusing to join in due to already knowing her identity; whilst the other half was curious about their relationship.

Cloud then let out an inaudible groan.

Much to his dismay, it seemed that his answer was already finalised for him.

Cloud finally drew in a deep breath and answered the question, although his regret loomed within the depths of his mind.

"Fine … I'm in."

 


	7. Vol.2 - Unbreakable Bonds

"HAH-HAH-HAA…! Do you think you have what it takes to challenge me, boy!?" The tensed up, middle-aged man teased on one end of the sports field; giving off a dark, cocky smirk as he pointed to his opponent. "Then come at me! Give me your best shot!"

"You're not going to drag me through the mud anymore, Old Man!" The young, up-beat boy roared back, eyes burning with determination. "Mark my words: I’m going to defeat you with everything I have!"

The two raged at one another from a distance, the atmosphere surrounding them constantly expanded as it heated up to boiling point. Their auras were close to suffocating, oozing with testosterone and bravado as they refused to give in to the opposing force.

_Woosh!_

In a mere instant, the two leapt towards each other with both their fists at the ready.

The moment they drew close enough to each other, they began to swing, eyes focused solely on their target.

However, what immediately followed were both their left hands swiftly intercepting the attack, locking their grasps against the other’s fists.

_Snatch!_

The moment upon impact, the two were now at a stalemate, refusing to let go of the other no matter what happens. As though they were mimicking each other, they drew back their necks and tensed the muscles connecting to their spines.

They then, abruptly, bashed their foreheads against the others with full force, gritting their teeth the moment their foreheads made contact.

_CRACK!_

 

**Meanwhile…**

Cloud Strife stood a few feet away, watching the two combatants trade blows with a bored-like gaze – hopelessly trying not to nod off. With him, the rest of Class 13A were watching with similar expressions, utterly confused by what was happening right in front of their eyes.

The group were currently standing at the centre of the large sports field, situated directly outside the back of the Academy.

They were wearing the Academy's mandatory sports uniform, consisted of: a white polo t-shirt with the Academy's logo woven on the chest, showing the large amounts of delicacy placed into weaving the fabric; breathable jet-black tracksuit pants/trousers for male students and female students, allowing for free movement and comfortability during activity; and finally, white, gripping sports sneakers/trainers to assist with movability through various terrain.

Having just exited the changing rooms, Group 13A had immediately come across the 'Boy' and 'Old Man' wrestling one another without awareness of the world around them.

"Err … Do they always do this?" Squall questioned with a ‘soulless’ expression, stepping up beside Cloud in curiosity of the situation before them. "I mean … It's been 10 minutes already.”

"Yeah, well … considering they were recently handed the title of 'Most Competitive Father-Son Rivalry in the World' … it’s safe to say that this is a regular thing for them." Cloud awkwardly responded as his eyes continued to follow the conflict, giving off a somewhat ‘embarrassed’ grin.

Just then, the conflicting Father-Son duo finally broke away from each other, flexing their muscles in preparation for their next bout.

"Is your head hurting, Kid?" The Father teased, showcasing a dark, intense, cocky smirk, "If you go for another bash, you'll end up taking a nap in the mud."

"Oh-hoh…! Don't you worry, Old Man!" The Son yelled back, reckless arrogance building up inside his mind, "I'll make sure that the imprint in the mud will be of YOUR FACE!"

The two then tensed up their muscles, gritted their teeth, and dug their feet into the ground as they were ready to charge once again.

"Instructor Jecht … Sir?" Warrior of Light called out from behind the group, finding this whole random ordeal agitating, "Will we be having our P.E. Lesson today or are you just going to continue on beating up Tidus?"

Both the Father and Son halted their tense movement, expressions switching to surprise as though they had immediately returned to reality.

Jecht, the Father and a P.E. instructor of Dissidia Academy, switched his sight towards the Class, giving them a cheesy, powerful grin as if to show innocence.

"Well now, if you're that pumped up: I think we're just about ready for-!"

"Wha-!? ‘BEATING ME UP’!?!? What are you talking about, Light!?" Tidus, the Son and fellow Class 13A Student, interrupted with an exaggerated roar, "I was clearly holding my own against this Old Fart!"

"L … Light…?" Warrior of Light echoed in uncertain hesitation, somewhat appalled by this sudden nickname.

Just as Tidus finished his statement, Instructor Jecht abruptly locked his son in a tight headlock, several veins popping out from his muscles as he refused to let go. Tidus struggled to break free, seeing this as a cheap trick to gain the upper hand.

However, under his breath, Instructor Jecht began to whisper coldly to his son, "How dare you interrupt me during lesson…"

Something else was also whispered following these words but Cloud and the rest of Class 13A could not determine the words clearly.

Suddenly, Tidus' face dropped completely into a horrified expression, his whole body beginning to go limp and shaking in fear as the colour in his skin faded into ghostly-white. Cloud was caught completely off-guard by the abrupt turn in Tidus' personality, nervously wondering what in the world his Father had said to him.

“S-Sorry … Sir.” Tidus murmured in a monotoned voice, acting lifeless and robotic.

"Good boy … now go join the rest of your Class." Instructor Jecht concluded his whisper, relaxing his muscles around Tidus' neck and allowed him to move freely again.

Tidus gradually nodded his head in reply and stepped away, his eyes completely blank with fear and body slowly shifted like a zombie. The rest of the Class watched him as he limped over and stood back within the group, making no response whatsoever as he hid himself amongst them.

Cloud couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, never had he seen Tidus unable to speak or show off his over-enthusiasm.

"Now then, you little squirts! Let us start the session with some intense warmups!" Instructor Jecht then informed the group, once again giving off a cocky grin and bashing his rock-hard fists together. "Four laps around the Academy Grounds, no stopping for breaks … NOW!"

For the next 10 minutes, the group began their warmup jog around the Grounds, some students slower than others.

Cloud took up the middle of the group, his mind wandering off in its own world as he began to reflect on the day’s odd encounters.

There were two topics plaguing his mind: One of the topics the especially came up was the case of Zack and Aerith – wondering how they got to know each other, how long for, and why Zack kept their relationship a secret for so long; the other topic was regarding Sephiroth, mainly questions still relating to why he had taken a break from SOLDIER.

Just then, a small tap on his shoulder from out of nowhere caused Cloud to abruptly leap out from his skin in fright. In instant reaction, his mind snapped back to the current reality and switched his head towards the person who tapped him.

"You really have gotten jumpy recently, haven't you Cloud?" Cecil stated with a light-hearted grin.

With embarrassment hitting him at the core, Cloud quickly glanced away to hide the fluster in his cheeks.

Cecil was jogging beside Cloud during the warmup laps for quite some-time, even though Cloud was oblivious of his presence. He caught on to Cloud's recent daze not long after they began running, but ultimately decided to stay silent and wait until it was necessary to speak his mind.

"What's with all this spacing out today?" Cecil then curiously wondered, "I mean, you do it a lot anyway … but you’ve been doing it far more than usual! Did something happen to you recently?"

"N-no … it's nothing." Cloud murmured lowly, hoping to keep his own thoughts to himself. "I'm just having some second thoughts on tracking down Zack and his girlfriend, that's all."

"Hmm … Is that so?" Cecil wondered in amusement, finding Cloud's statement intriguing. However, he then gave out a light chuckle, "It’s funny, we've already asked you twice today and both times you've said 'Yes'. So technically you would be having 'third' thoughts."

"Ok, there's no need for you to rub it in!" Cloud spat back in annoyance, even though he knew that it was just a light-hearted joke. "I'm just starting to feel that 'maybe' we should hold it off for now. I’m sure Zack’s been anticipating this for a while now and it would hurt him if he found out we’ve known about it the entire time."

"Aww! But that would ruin the greatness of a 'secret romance'!" Cecil moaned in disappointment, albeit his eyes suddenly lighting up with emotion. “Don’t tell me you’re chickening out!”

"Err … it wouldn't be a 'secret' if we stalk on the couple." Cloud murmured with a bored and awkward expression. “In fact, it would be considered an invasion of his privacy.”

"You’re hiding something, Cloud." Another sudden voice muttered from Cloud's other side.

Cloud's heart skipped a beat in fright the moment the voice spoke, stumbling slightly whilst he continued to jog. He then whipped his head round to the opposite side, although fully aware of who it was from the moment they spoke.

"Firion, did you have to jump in without warning!?” He blurted out in agitation, his sweat pouring down his face.

Firion had caught up with Cloud and Cecil throughout the jog, listening in on their small conversation.

"What do you mean by Cloud 'hiding something'?" Cecil then asked out in intrigue, confused as to what Firion was indicating to.

"Whenever Zack's relationship was brought up during our 'heist' discussion, Cloud always backs off from the conversation or spaces out." Firion began to explain, becoming very perceptive on the whole matter whilst giving a hint of suspicion in his voice. "I have a feeling that he saw something related to Zack's relationship that didn't agree with him."

“URK-!!!”

Cloud felt his teeth suddenly bite the inside of his lip in reaction, cursing Firion’s surprisingly observant nature. He then hesitated from speaking out, feeling both Firion and Cecil's eyes glaring down on him.

"I … I already told you!” Cloud finally spoke out, stuttering as he jogged. “I spotted Zack at the Academy Gate during Lunch Break with the girl he was dating! I just couldn’t figure out her identity…”

Cloud then noticed Firion raise an eyebrow, causing his nerves to heighten.

"I see … so, why do I have the feeling that you’re lying." Firion chuckled as he became sceptical, his suspicions continuing to rise.

 _How did he catch on to that!?_ Cloud's mind nervously questioned; brushing the sweat from his forehead to distract himself from the unbearable anxiety.

He then had the immediate urge to change conversation.

"A-Anyway, where’s Tidus? I haven’t seen him at all since we began jogging."

Both Firion and Cecil glanced at each other with unexpected sorrowful expressions, wondering if it was ideal to answer.

"Well, ever since Instructor Jecht whispered in his ear…” Cecil answered somewhat cautiously, his shifting eyes indicating to the back of the jogging group. “…He stopped being his usual self."

As Class 13A began to turn a corner around the Academy Grounds, Cloud took a peek towards the rear. To his complete shock, he caught sight of a zombie-like Tidus jogging – or rather 'limping uncontrollably' – from far behind the rest of the group.

Coincidentally, it seemed that his was in a small three-man jogging team with two other half-dead looking classmates: Zidane and Bartz. The two seemingly had yet to recover from the wrath of Sephiroth during their previous lesson.

And yet, what was interesting about this development was that Bartz, Zidane, and Tidus would normally be leading far ahead of the Class 13A, factoring to their immense speed and endurance as seasonal sportsmen.

"What did the teacher say to Tidus!?" Cloud blurted out in a state of shock; eyes wide with horror upon seeing Tidus' current appearance.

"I don't think it’s wise for us to ask right now." Firion answered with a feeling of dread in the pits of his stomach, "However, what I would like to know is … why are the teachers in this Academy so terrifying!?"

 

**Later that session…**

The Class finished the 4-lap warmup, many already feeling as though they could pass out on the spot due to the intense exhaustion. However, throughout the rest of the P.E. lesson, they had worked on the circuit training set up within the whole diameter the Grounds.

Cloud was taken aback by the change in session. He had expected – from Tidus' own words not long previous – that the group would be playing Blitzball for the rest of the lesson. He considered bringing up the topic to Instructor Jecht, but ultimately decided to brush it away and follow through with the circuit training.

After the session finally drew to a close, Cloud made his way over towards the changing rooms. His body was covered with sweat as the muscles in his body ached and throbbed to no end.

He was completely drained.

It was the same with the rest of Class 13A, all of whom were dragging their feet to the changing rooms with unbearable exhaustion.

Suddenly, just as Cloud was about to enter the male changing room, Firion stepped out before him – still in his sportswear.

"Err … aren't you getting changed, Firion?" Cloud questioned him in an odd, wondering tone.

"Yes, I will do … eventually." Firion politely nodded, yet his eyes were fixated on the Grounds before them. "Although, it does seem that I will be delayed."

At first, Cloud stared at him with confusion, finding his response rather abnormal. He then followed Firion’s line of sight, directing him to face the Academy Grounds.

It was at that moment when realisation struck him completely.

It seemed that Tidus had recovered from his daze and immediately confronted Instructor Jecht … again.

"Seriously! They're fighting … AGAIN!?" Cloud yelled out in bafflement, eyes wide and mouth agape with absurdity. "I know they despise each other with a passion but … do they HAVE to fight each other the moment their eyes meet!?"

"I know, it's problematic … but we can look into fixing their relationship at a later date." Firion stated with a long-winded sigh, before his expression switched over to a determined look. "Right now, I have to split the two up."

"Do you want me to help you out?" Cloud volunteered, believing that more than one person would be necessary to intercept the Father-Son pair … especially considering Instructor Jecht's brooding stature.

"No, don't worry about that. I’ve got Cecil on backup if things go awry." Firion assured him confidently, showing off his polite smile.

"Oh … Ok." Cloud murmured in understanding, feeling rather useless.

"Well, in the meantime, you can head over to the Entrance Gate and wait for us there." Firion then suggested, although setting a cautious gaze on him. "Unless you've changed your mind about participating with the 'heist'…"

"You don't need to give me that suspicious look, Firion." Cloud assured with an irritated expression, finding Firion's constant glare an annoyance. “I'll be there.”

Firion nodded as his expression turned back to the usual soothing grin, before finally running off towards the Grounds in preparation to stop the Father-Son conflict.

Cloud spared a few seconds and watched as Firion started to struggle with splitting up Tidus from his brawl with Instructor Jecht. He shook his head, letting out a quiet chuckle in the process, and headed inside to change back into his usual Academy Uniform.

 

**Dissidia Academy, 3:00pm…**

After changing into his uniform, Cloud made his way towards the allocates meeting point. He made his way through the student-filled corridors on the Ground Floor of the Academy.

_Drring-Drring-Drring…!_

As expected, the final bell of the day rang throughout the entire Academy, causing the students to rush out from the rooms towards their long-desired freedom. Cloud swiftly turned a corner to evade the crowd’s aggression, preferring not to deal with the claustrophobic battle on his way to the Academy Grounds.

However, as he thought he had successfully escaped the crushing crowds of students, he accidently collided into an oncoming figure.

_Trip!_

“Whoops!”

He tripped up, causing him to fall onto something oddly soft … kind of like pillows. Thankfully, he was able to avoid colliding onto the floor, yet instead felt his body accidentally lean up against the other figure.

Cloud hastily recovered from his lack of balance and stood up awkwardly, blushing with embarrassment as he realised what he had done.

"I-I-I'm sorry about that! I wasn't looking where I was going." Cloud swiftly apologised, eyes shut tight and bowing hastily as the embarrassment took over him.

"Hmph-hmm … there’s no need to worry about that, Cloud.” The soothing voice of the figure replied, giving off a light, pure and wise tone. “It was just unfortunate timing."

Cloud then gradually opened his eyes, finding the voice very familiar to him. As he met eyes with the person, he instantly recognised Headmistress Cosmos standing before him with her usual pure smile.

"Oh, H-Headmistress Cosmos!" Cloud stuttered with surprise, trying his best not to act like a complete fool in front of her … even though he had already failed to do so.

A realisation then struck him.

_Wait … the Headmistress!? Then the soft pillow-like objects I felt were her-AH!!!_

Cloud's whole body completely froze up upon the realization, his entire face turning beat red at the thought.

Students continued to pass the two, heading out of the building and towards the Entrance Gate. As they did this, some had taken a small yet awkward glance towards the frozen Cloud, unable to grasp what was occurring between him and the Headmistress.

Noticing the abrupt reaction, Cosmos tilted her head with confusion, finding Cloud's sudden behaviour rather abnormal.

"Is something the matter, Cloud?" Cosmos asked him curiously, her gleaming smile as pure as the blue sky.

"I-I-I-I-I'M SO SORRY ABOUT BUMPING INTO YOU, HEADMISTRESS!" Cloud abruptly bellowed out in apology, hastily bowing down as he hid his burning red face.

"Like I said, don't worry about that." Cosmos reassured as she placed a hand up innocently, trying to hold back a giggle as she began to find Cloud's behaviour amusing. "And please … just call me Cosmos."

"O-Ok…" Cloud finally nodded back, raised his body back to a straight posture.

And yet, his eyes were still shying away with embarrassment, no matter how hard he was trying to hide it.

"Anyway, I'm glad to have bumped into you." Cosmos then clapped her hands together, changing the subject for his benefit. "I was wondering about the Chocobo Racing Committee you'll be leading next Wednesday."

Cloud gave out a light gasp. With everything that had occurred to him throughout the day, the Chocobo Racing Committee had completely slipped his mind.

"Ah! Y-yes, what do you wish to know?" Cloud then formally queried, curious as to what was on Cosmos’ mind.

"Well, have you been able to gather a team for the upcoming races yet?" Cosmos responded with a question, her expression beaming with hope.

"Sorry, not yet…" Cloud admitted apologetically, shaking his head, "I'm a team member short."

For the past few days, Cloud was preoccupied with advertising the Chocobo Racing Committee all throughout the Academy. From corridor-to-corridor, he could be seen placing 'The Chocobo Racing Committee needs YOU!' posters, handing out flyers to students, and announcing to groups on signing up for membership.

In the end, he was able to gather a decent amount of team members who had responded through emailing and other forms of social media. However, upon checking up on the number of members, he had gathered a total of only 5 new members who wished to be in the Racing Team itself. On the other hand, he was able to gain 15 others who opted to assist as a member of management for the committee.

"I see … well, at least you still have some time to find your last member." Cosmos cheerfully assured; giving off a light, pure aura as she spoke. "Let's hope for a successful season of racing!"

"Yeah, I'll be sure to make this season the best that the Academy has ever had." Cloud assured the Headmaster with complete determination, feeling as though his worries were suddenly lifted – even if it was temporary.

"I am glad you feel that way, Cloud.” Cosmos nodded back peacefully. “I’ll be cheering for you and your team when the race season commences."

With that, she waved and made her way up the flight of stairs nearby where they were standing, keeping a strong, refined posture as she ascended.

Cloud watched on in awe, his eyes filled with inspiration.

_…She must be a Goddess in human form!_

 

**Eventually…**

Upon finally reaching the Entrance Gate, Cloud stood idly and patiently waited for his friends to arrive. During this time, he observed the hordes of students who passed him as the exited the Academy, rushing out of the Gate and feeling the freedom of the outer world.

He then turned his gaze towards the expanding world outside the Gate, watching the trees peacefully rustling against the light breeze and the afternoon sun glaring strongly over the nearby metropolis.

He inhaled the fresh oxygen within the air around him and blew it out without a care in the world, allowing his question-filled mind to drop freely into a dormant slumber.

However, this was only short lived …

"You seem very relaxed, Cloud." A soft, light voice suddenly spoke beside him.

Cloud whipped his head around, mind suddenly becoming active again as he was caught out by the unexpected voice. The moment he noticed who had spoken to him, he leapt up in surprise, his heart skipping a beat and throat suddenly becoming dry.

"A-Aerith!?" Cloud stuttered in shock, unable to control his heart-beat as he hastily checked his surroundings, "W-what are you…? _*A-hem!*_ I-I mean … you’re still here?”

Aerith Gainsborough was standing idly next to him, showing a cheerful, light-hearted expression – as one would usually expect from her. Her hands sat freely behind her back and legs closely together, giving her an innocent aura. Her braided, chocolate brown hair blew lightly towards the direction of the breeze, held strongly together with her new pink Hair-bow that she had received earlier by Zack Fair.

The sudden gut feeling Cloud gained not too long ago had returned to haunt him, causing him to feel gradually more on edge and unable to think straight.

"Yes, I had to finish off a few duties in the Medical Room." Aerith responded back with a soft giggle, showing a wondrous expression upon meeting Cloud. " It's nice to see you’re looking well. Are you waiting here for someone?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm meeting my friends here … who should be arriving anytime now." Cloud answered truthfully, although desperately praying for them not to show up. "Anyway, that hair-bow certainly suits you, although I don't think I've seen you wearing it before now."

"Ah, do you like it? It was given to me earlier today as a present." Aerith expressed enthusiastically upon hearing the compliment, moving her head side-to-side to show off her bow in all its purity. "I’ll admit, it's already become my pride and joy."

Cloud nodded with a calm smirk, "Well, the person who gave it to you certainly had taste."

"Eh-heh-heh!" Aerith chuckled away, before noticing the time on her watch. "Oh! Sorry Cloud, I must head off; I've got to go meet with someone."

 _This is my chance!_ Cloud's mind leapt up instantly, ensuring that this opportunity would not go to waste.

"No, don’t worry about it.” Cloud coolly expressed back, brushing the inconvenience aside. “Sorry if I sound random in asking this, but … where is it you’re heading off to?”

"I'm visiting Crescent Lake on the other-side of the City." Aerith answered excitedly without a care in the world, "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious, that's all." Cloud answered in a casual manner, hoping for her not to catch on to him.

"Ok then. Well, I best head off." Aerith then concluded, heading off to her destination, "I'll see you soon, Cloud!"

Cloud waved her off, watching her with a small across her face as she left the scene.

He felt accomplished, believing luck was finally on his side.

As Cloud continued to wait for the three, he proceeded to watch on as the last of the Students stepped through the Entrance Gate.

Just then, one of the students had caught his attention, noticing a glint of reflective light illuminate from the corner of his eye. It was a female student, standing out gracefully amongst the small group she was walking together with.

She exhibited shoulder-length, dark-green hair and rather pale skin.

Concentrating his gaze, Cloud realized the item that reflected the Sun's light was a red, crystallized ruby gem. It sat firmly within a decorative Hair Ornament that the girl wore with pride.

It then occurred to Cloud that he had known about her from Cecil, having spoken of her a few times before.

The Girl's name was Rydia, who lived in a nearby town called Mist.

As she passed him, Cloud abruptly heard a voice in the distance, narrowing it down to within the area of the Academy.

It was loud.

It was over-exaggerative.

It was all too familiar.

With a sigh, Cloud twisted towards the direction of the growing voice, bracing for what was about to hit him.

"ClooooooOOOOOUUUUUDDD!"

The roaring voice rose to exaggerated heights, closing in on Cloud at tremendous speeds.

Cloud paused his breath, placing full concentration on the timing of when the owner of the voice would encounter him. As he did this, he then took in a deep, considerate breath as muscles in his body tensed up.

And then … He took a large step to the side.

_WOOSH!!!_

Within a matter of seconds, a blurred figure flew passed him at a ferocious speed, causing Cloud’s to flutter momentarily. Cloud had not even flinched, watching the events unfold before his eyes with an uncaring half-open gaze.

"WOAH!!!"

_CRASH!!!_

The figure suddenly tripped up over his own feet, causing him to collide face-first against the gravelled pavement and skid across the track just outside of the Entrance Gate.

_BANG! CRASH! Skiiid…!!!_

Cloud felt his entire body cringe up as he witnessed the figure continue his journey of agonizing pain, assuming it would leave a mark. And yet, he just could not take his eyes off the spectacle, finding it oddly intriguing to watch.

And then, Cloud caught sight of Firion and Cecil from the corner of his eye, stepping up beside him as they watched the carnage continue to unfold. Cloud could only imagine that both Firion and Cecil had the same amazed expressions as he had upon witnessing such a rare performance.

_Sliiide…!_

Finally, after what felt like forever, the tumbling and skidding across the gravel finally came to a halt.

Cloud soon realised that he had not blinked once throughout the spectacle, feeling somewhat sorrowful for allowing the event to occur in the first place.

On the other hand, it was satisfying to watch for some reason.

He then turned towards Firion and Cecil, who were – as Cloud had predicted – staring in horror upon witnessing the figure grind face-first across the gravelled pavement.

"Tidus … hasn't had one of his greater days today, has he?" Cloud admitted to the two, not knowing whether to show pain or amusement.

"Yeah … I’ll be honest, I don't think those marks will disappear anytime soon." Firion commented back, looking away in respect for his damaged friend.

"There goes the beautiful face of our fellow brethren." Cecil announced with a heartfelt sniff, showing off crocodile tears towards the lying Tidus. “…He shall be missed.”

_Why do students in our Class always exaggerate these things…?_

Suddenly, the motionless Tidus raised his arms, slamming the palm of his hands against the ground. Within one heave, he silently dragged his body up to his hands and knees, breathing eerily heavy upon bearing the agonising pain.

Not long after, he turned his head to face the three.

“““ _*GASP…!?!?*_ OOOOOHHH…!!!””” All three of them hissed loudly with a cringing tone, noticing the extent of the damage.

Form what they could see, Tidus' face was shredded to pieces. Several grazes appearing throughout the extent of his mug, some even had blood trickling out from the gashes.

The expression on his face was something akin to what Tidus would show when confronting his own Father: absolute anger and hatred.

"Cloud! Why did you move out of the way!?" Tidus roared out in bewilderment, struggling to bear the pain that throbbed throughout his face.

"What do you expect!?" Cloud argued back in defence, holding back the tears of laughter that began to creep up to him. "If I took the impact, I would be in the same situation as you!”

"Well, if you DID take the impact, my 'handsome' face would’ve been saved from being almost TORN off of me!!!" Tidus then bellowed in agony, leaping up to his feet with a struggle.

"Admit it, Tidus. You deserved that after what you had done during Lunch Break." Cecil shrugged in a cocky tone, unable to hide the dark grin on his face.

"Don't you even dare bring 'that' up, Cecil!" Tidus hastily demanded, gritting his teeth intensely and pointing to Cecil in order to hush him up.

"Wait … what did he do?" Cloud wondered as he turned to Cecil, ignoring Tidus' evident plea.

"You see, there was a reason why our P.E. Lesson changed plans at the last minute.” Cecil stated out bluntly, a slight grin appearing whilst he crossed his arms. “Tidus recklessly damaging a section of the Academy's Blitzball Stadium during the Lunch Break."

"WHA-!? How is that possible!?" Cloud blurted out in shock, unable to fathom the possibility.

“LA-LA-LAA…! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Tidus echoed out at the top of his voice, desperately using whatever methods he had to drown out the big reveal.

"During practice, he accidentally struck a weak point in the barrier with his notorious Jecht Shot." Cecil proceeded to explain, remembering what he was told earlier by Instructor Jecht whilst assisting to stop the Father-Son brawl. "Supposedly, the event within the stadium mechanics was 'quite' a spectacle."

"It was an accident, in any case!" Tidus pouted arrogantly, glancing away with frustration. "And besides, it was only a minor situation. The engineers said it'll be fully repaired by the end of next week."

"Yeah … no wonder your Dad was angry at you." Cecil commented underneath his breath, silently chuckling away.

Both Cloud and Firion began to let out a few chuckles of their own alongside Cecil whilst Tidus glared at the trio with betrayed eyes.

"A-Anyway, we know why we're meeting here!" Tidus then announced, hastily changing the subject whilst cuffing the blood from his face with his Blazer sleeve. "Right now, our 'task' is to track down Zack and find out everything about his new ‘girlfriend’. So far, all we know is that she is supposedly 'cute' and 'sweet'. So, our first objective is to find out where they are, which … is going to be rather difficult."

Cloud’s body instantly shuddered as he heard the plan, still conflicted at the thought of going through with the ‘heist’.

However, it was too late to turn back now.

"They … would most likely be meeting at Crescent Lake." Cloud admitted, trying to hide his nervous breath.

"What makes you say that, Cloud?" Firion wondered within risen intrigue, curious as to how Cloud came to such a conclusion.

"Oh! Well … I hear that Crescent Lake tends to be a hotspot for couples." Cloud quicky elaborated, reflecting upon what he had been told by his best-friend a while back, "Also, I do remember Zack telling me in the past that if he ever did get himself a girlfriend, the first place he would go would be to Crescent Lake."

“If that's what he said then that'll be the first place we'll look!" Tidus stated loudly with determination, stepping up to the group so that he didn't feel so out of place.

"It will be quite the trek though, seeing as it is on the other side of the City." Firion pointed out, reminding the others about the reality of the situation "At our usual pace, we'll probably get there by the evening. By that time, we'll most likely have missed them."

"Heh-hee…! That won't be a problem if we run all the way there!" Tidus cheerfully suggested, hopping up and down in preparation for a speedy pace.

"As much as we would love to, Tidus … keep in mind that the circuit training was brutal on our bodies earlier. The run would kill us before we even reach the Lake!” Cloud swiftly pointed out, desperately hoping that they wouldn't run after the agony they had to endure. "For now, we'll just have to bear with the long walk."

Firion and Cecil nodded in agreement, also feeling that running such a long distance would be unbearable. Cloud switched back to Tidus, noticing his frustration of being outnumbered in the debate.

After a moment of silence, Tidus gave out a bothersome sigh.

"Fine, we'll walk!" He concluded with a bitter nod, finding it completely pointless to argue at this point. “But … we’ll have to be fast!”

Cloud, Firion, and Cecil glanced at one another with amused grins, accepting the compromise.

They began to head off towards the City, hoping to reach Crescent Lake before the Sun sets.

 

**Later that Afternoon…**

The Sun magnificently illuminated Crescent Lake, giving it a pure, majestic atmosphere. The numerous trees surrounding the grand Lake rustled with the light gusts that passed them, transforming the late summer leaves into the autumn season. The stony pathways were trodden up by varieties of tourists: families, couples, study groups, and various others.

It was the perfect location to escape from reality.

As the day was approaching its end, many of the visitors had started to make their way towards the exit.

However, Cloud, Tidus, Firion and Cecil rushed through the exiting crowd in the opposing direction, completely out of breath and muscles beyond the point of aching. Their eyes hastily examined the area around them, only to soon realise that Zack and his girlfriend was nowhere to be found.

"W-were we too late?" Cecil wondered in a breathless pant, slowly recovering from the long journey.

"Argh, Man! What a pain!" Tidus groaned out irritably, his heightened anticipation quickly shattered as if it was a fragile glass item. "I was SO looking forward to seeing his gal as well!"

Cloud briefly glanced at his trio of friends, all looking both exhausted and disappointed.

"Maybe they haven't left yet." Cloud then suggested to them, refusing to believe the journey was a waste of time. "I mean, not all the visitors have left the Lake yet. There’s still a chance."

Firion and Cecil glanced to one another with uncertain eyes, doubting the possibility. Tidus, on the other hand, began to show an enthusiastic yet creepy grin, causing Cloud to shuffle back nervously.

And then, Tidus launched his whole body onto Cloud, grasping his neck and holding him down with a strong but friendly headlock. With the free-hand, Tidus clenched it into a fist and began to rub his knuckles hard against the top of Cloud's head.

"Man, I knew your curiosity would be your downfall!" Tidus cheerfully joked, chuckling away as he continued to rub his knuckles against Cloud's spiked blond hair. “Welcome to the darr side, my friend!”

"Ah – ow, ow, ow, OW!” Cloud yelled out in pain, struggling to release himself from Tidus' clutches. “Tidus! W-would you g-get off me!"

On request, Tidus released Cloud and gave him some much-needed space.

“Hahahaa! Sorry dude!"

Cloud stretched out, soothing his head after enduring such an embarrassing assault. After a quick recovery, he examined the area around him once more, searching for any hints of Zack and Aerith.

"If we walk around the whole entire Lake, we're bound to find them before dusk sets in." Cloud proposed to the group, knowing it was their best chance to track the two down.

"Hmm … apologies Cloud, but I'm opting out." Cecil sorrowfully shook his head, "I have this odd feeling that we’re too late. As much as I would love to see Zack’s relationship blossom with his girl, the search will only be in vain."

Cloud silently nodded, feeling no need to persuade his friend, although a hint of irony crept up at the thought that he was previously all for the 'heist' not too long ago.

Cloud then turned to Firion, wondering about the stance he would take on the subject.

However, Firion also shook his head in awkward silence, deciding it best to pull out of the heist.

"Argh…! You two are such killjoys!" Tidus abruptly blurted out, annoyed by their haphazard decisions. "Come on, Cloud! Let's go track down the lovebirds!"

Tidus strode off from the group in disgust, refusing to look back as he hunched up his shoulders. Cloud watched him walk off with an awkward expression, feeling that Tidus' frustration was slightly overblown.

Prior to setting off, he swivelled back to Firion and Cecil.

"If your minds are set, who am I to judge?" Cloud admitted truthfully with a small grin, accepting their decisions. "We'll see you at the Academy tomorrow."

Cloud switched round and swiftly sped into jogged in hopes of catching up to Tidus, waving back to his two other friends in the process. As he saw them wave back exiting the Lake, both Cloud and Tidus commenced with their search.

 

**An hour or so later…**

Cloud and Tidus travelled along the walkway that circled the entirety of the Lake, examining every likely area as thoroughly as possible.

Unfortunately, as they pressed on, the evening was passing swiftly – almost to the point where the setting Sun was soon to drop behind the trees.

With no sign of Zack or his girlfriend within view, doubt was finally setting in both their minds. Tidus refused to give in to the temptation of giving up, believing there was still a small chance of tracking them down.

Cloud, on the other hand, was growing more uncertain as time passed.

Eventually, they had completely circled Crescent Lake – much to their disappointment. They made their way back up to the entrance, calling it a day.

"You know … I'm starting to think it would’ve been best to head home with Firion and Cecil." Tidus depressively sighed out, the feeling of failure digging deep into his chest.

"We tried … at least." Cloud loosely shrugged, wishing he had listened to his intuition.

"Anyway, I best head home. My Old Man is probably going to scold me the moment I step in the door, so I’ll take the ‘scenic’ route back." Tidus then groaned in despair, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow, dude."

Cloud nodded back and waved Tidus off, who had his head down in gloom as he trod off into the distance. This was soon followed by Cloud letting out a long sigh in frustration, giving a whimsical thought on what to do next.

Oddly enough, the idea of watching the Sun set from the Lake appeared in his mind, feeling that he would rather end the day with a fulfilling send off. With everything that had occurred throughout today, it felt necessary to end it on a peaceful note.

With his priority set, Cloud began to find a suitable bench.

However, as he continued his way on the track, two silhouettes in the distance suddenly caught his attention.

What followed … was an all-too familiar voice.

"Heh-heh…! What do you think to the new uniform?" The larger, masculine-looking silhouette wondered as he proudly showed himself off to the smaller, feminine-looking silhouette. "Do you think I look heroic yet?"

“It really suits you, Zack!" The feminine silhouette answered with a light giggle.

_Zack!? So you DID take her here!_

Cloud’s eyes lit up in a buzz as he silently treaded closer to the couple's position, hoping the two were oblivious to his existence.

Although the area was slowly darkening, there was just the right amount of light to at least determine the details of the two silhouettes. Cloud instantly recognised Aerith, who seemed to be wearing more casual clothing instead of the standard Academy Uniform he had seen her wear a while ago: This consisted of a long-sleeved, flower-patterned top; tight-worn jeans; and her new pink Hair-bow for added effect.

Witnessing Aerith in her new attire, Cloud felt his heart set pleasantly at ease. It was as though she was engulfed in tranquillity, curing anyone who passes her from the anxiety and depression that loomed over their heads.

As his sight switched over towards Zack, he was immediately caught off-guard by his new attire. His entire body was covered head-to-toe with the one thing Zack had always dreamed of wearing: The SOLDIER 1st Class Uniform.

"N-no way … he finally made 1st Class…" Cloud whispered in shock, letting out soundless chuckles of amazement as he watched his best friend revel in his accomplishment.

Stopping by a nearby tree, Cloud hid himself from view as he continued to watch the two. His mind was completely overturned by Zack's sudden success, wishing he could reveal himself them just so he could congratulate his long-time best friend.

Aerith sat down on a nearby bench, resting herself from what was likely a busy day for her. She watched as Zack gave out triumphant poses in front of her with his new uniform, overjoyed in seeing him so ecstatic.

 _Wow, what a show off…!_ Cloud thought in a murmur, shaking his head as he let out a typical sigh.

Eventually, Zack decided to sit down next to Aerith, gazing out towards the illuminating Crescent Lake with a motivated grin.

"It's really peaceful…" Aerith quietly expressed, taking in a deep, meaningful breath, "I'm glad we came here."

"Hm-hmm…! Yeah … it certainly is." Zack agreed in a light tone, taking in the view of the lake. “Being here with you … it’s like a dream.”

Cloud watched on Zack and Aerith's closest hands gradually joined together, proof of their unbreakable bond.

Upon witnessing the two joining together, a chord struck with Cloud.

With all the odd behaviours he had displayed throughout the day along with the increasing moments of spacing out, there was no doubt in his mind at this point that Cloud admired Aerith greatly.

The feeling of tranquillity had always welcomed him whenever Aerith was close by, taking away all matter of worry and doubt in the process. He was obsessed with the feeling, wishing to be welcomed by it everywhere he went.

Ever since the truth was revealed, it was difficult for him to accept. Somewhat jealous of the fact that she pure light was already occupied by another person.

That person being his Best Friend.

However, as he observed the two become more intimately close to one another, he came to an understanding: Zack truly deserved her.

After witnessing Zack constantly being turned down by woman after woman, and then to finally see him break free from those shackles: Cloud found it to be a sight to behold. With the addition of him succeeding in his dream of becoming a Hero, Cloud’s respect for the man broke through its peak – both as a best friend and as his inspiration.

As the Sun finally set over the horizon, Cloud turned and stepped away towards the distance, satisfied by what he had seen. A deep smile grew, his heart renewed and assuring that he would support the two for eternity.

 

**Meanwhile, back at Dissidia Academy…**

The halls and corridors were glowing with the rays of the Evening Sun, slowly dimming as time continued to shift.

All the lights throughout the Academy were turned off … aside from one, single bulb.

Situated within Geography Room 2, work was still underway. Sephiroth was preoccupied with rebuilding the Great Globe, refusing to rest until the job was complete. Many of the golden, shattered pieces were finally forged back in their correct positions.

As Sephiroth continued his intense repair, the door suddenly began sprung open without warning.

Normally, one would cast an eye over to the door in wonder of whom had entered.

But not Sephiroth.

He was fully aware of the visitor’s presence far before they had reached the door, expecting them to enter without a care in the world.

"Still hard or work, I see!" The gruff voice spoke out, pridefully echoing throughout the entire room. "No wonder people see you as a workaholic!"

"Hmph…! If that is how they see it, then so be it.” Sephiroth muttered back in a dark tone, knowing exactly whose voice had spoken. “What do you want, Jecht?"

Jecht gave out a deep chuckle, closing the door behind him as he stepped over to inspect the repair.

"Watching you repair such a huge piece of equipment – even after it got smashed – really fires me up!"Jecht expressed loudly, giving out a snarky grin. "Why go so far for something that's only there to be 'flashy' in front of the kids!?"

Sephiroth abruptly halted and turned to face Jecht, his long silver hair barely hiding his dark, horrifying glare.

"Just so you know … it isn't 'just' for showing off and educating the students." Sephiroth murmured coldly, the whole atmosphere around him shuddering in terror.

"Oh, so I've heard." Jecht playfully teased, unfazed by Sephiroth’s deathly stare. "It must be horrific to watch your masterpiece shatter right on top of you, all due to some worthless brats messing around."

"Don't worry … I was able to handle it." Sephiroth then admitted, his expression showing no emotion whatsoever. "I assume you’ve had one hell of a time in trying to repair that Stadium of yours."

"Heh-heh-heh…! No need for the concern, I'll be sure in due time that my boy gets the punishment he rightfully deserves." Jecht grinned in a cocky tone, crossing his arms and tensing up his brutal muscles. "I'm curious though … what IS this big plan you’re so obsessed about?"

Sephiroth sat in complete silence as he heard Jecht’s question, slightly dipping his head. What soon followed was a small yet deadly grin seeping across, showing how menacing he had become throughout the years.

"I cannot tell you presently…" Sephiroth finally expressed, his dark voice echoing throughout the room.

He turned and flipped a switch that was situated on the base of the Globe, suddenly turning on the large variety of crystal-clear holograms.

However, instead of the images that he used for his classes, holograms of various specific people were showing on the walls throughout the room. These holograms included a wide range of live footage documenting the current whereabouts of these individuals – Including a variety of Students from the Academy.

Jecht switched off the lights in the room and stepped forward to gain a full view of the holograms, observing the glorious footage with his own two eyes. His grin and expression turned from dark and brooding to truly menacing and even insanity, accompanied with a dark, terrifying chuckle that slowly escaped his voice.

Ignoring Jecht’s moment of insanity, Sephiroth glanced up to the central section of the ceiling: concentrating at one last hologram.

"…It’s a whole lot bigger than you could ever imagine." Sephiroth concluded his dreading statement, the pupils of his eyes abruptly beginning to intensify.

The hologram was both observing and documenting the central, most important person in Sephiroth's plan. This person, oblivious to being watched, was the one and only person in Sephiroth's mind who could possibly cause such a magnitude of chaos within the whole of Shinra.

And later down the line: the entire world.

His name … SOLDIER 1st Class: Zack Fair.

 

**End of Volume 2.**


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